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Golden lemon olive oil shortbread rounds stacked on a marble board with sugared edges and lemon zest flecks.

Lemon Olive Oil Shortbread with Crisp Sugared Edges

Slice-and-bake shortbread made with extra virgin olive oil and lemon zest instead of butter, rolled in sugar for a crisp edge.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 157
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch for a more tender crumb
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 80 g granulated sugar for the dough
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar for rolling the log
  • 120 ml extra virgin olive oil use a fruity, decent-quality oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest from about 2 medium lemons
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract optional

Method
 

  1. Zest the lemons before juicing them, then measure out 2 tbsp zest and 2 tbsp juice.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the olive oil, 80 g sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture looks slightly thick and well combined.
  4. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and fold with a spatula until the dough comes together with no dry streaks. The dough will feel soft and a little oily, not sticky like a cookie dough.
  5. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a log about 5 cm / 2 inches wide. Wrap tightly and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until firm enough to slice cleanly.
  6. Unwrap the log and roll it in the remaining 2 tbsp sugar, pressing gently so the sugar sticks to the outside.
  7. Heat the oven to 170 C / 340 F and line a sheet pan (33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch) with parchment paper.
  8. Slice the log into rounds about 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick with a sharp knife. If the dough crumbles instead of slicing clean, let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes and try again.
  9. Arrange the rounds on the pan, spacing them about 2.5 cm / 1 inch apart.
  10. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the edges turn light gold and the centers still look pale and set.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely. They firm up as they sit.

Notes

  • Zest the lemons before juicing them, it's much harder to zest a juiced lemon.
  • Don't skip chilling the dough log, warm dough won't slice into clean rounds.
  • Roll the log in sugar while the dough still feels soft enough to hold it.
  • Pull the pan when edges are light gold, the center firms up as it cools.