Can I add lemon zest to a shortbread cookie recipe?
I would like to use a shortbread recipe for making lemon short bread cookies, this recipe only uses sugar and butter and doesn't use any eggs or milk, I was thinking that perhaps I could add lemon extract and use lemon zest do you think it would work?
Best Answer
If the recipe on its own (without alteration) works, your modifications should be safe, mind that an oily extract or coarsely cut zest could have an additional shortening effect.
Be careful with lemon JUICE though, the acidity can change the texture. And avoid putting in other watery ingredients (milk,juices), they will encourage gluten formation and lead to a softer, cakey cookie.
Expect there to be SOME leavening and deformation in the oven if using butter/margarine, since there is still water bound in these fats. So if a perfect "commercially baked" look is desirable, constraining the cookies in molds and/or using different fats might be needed.
Experimentation with different flour grades, and probably with adding pure starches, is a good thing to do once you have made the base recipe work.
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Why are my shortbread cookies so dry?
If the butter isn't soft enough, the dough will be extra dry and harder to work with. Add the salt and flour then mix until you have a consistency of sand. It's going to look very dry but when you squeeze the mixture together with will hold. It's much like pie crust dough.What does adding cornstarch to shortbread do?
When added to cake, cookie and shortbread recipes, cornstarch helps create a crumbly and tender dessert-like texture. Commercially, cornstarch is often used as an anti-caking agent.What is the difference between shortbread cookies and regular cookies?
They're both delicious cookies, but different. Sugar cookies are lighter, while shortbread is dense. Shortbread is more rustic, while sugar cookies work best for cutting and decorating. Sugar cookies will have a leavening (baking powder or soda) while shortbread has a short and simple ingredient list.How to bake | Zesty Lemon Shortbread 🤩
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