These pretty lemon pistachio shortbread cookies are topped with a sweet glaze, for a delicious and easy sweet treat.
Shortbread cookies are always a favourite of mine, any time of year. They are especially nice for the holidays though, as they are both delicious and keep well. These Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies add a little extra, topping buttery, flaky shortbread cookies with a tangy, lemon icing sugar glaze and a sprinkling of salted, roasted pistachios.
While these may look fancy, they are in fact, super easy to make. The cookies bake up in a round in a pan. Simply press in the dough! Once cut into wedges, they are just dipped into the glaze and sprinkled with pistachios. No need for piping bags here.
So I hope you will give these delicious cookies a try over the holidays. They keep really well and you can even freeze them. And of course, they would make a lovely gift cookie.
These Lemon Pistachio Shortbread cookies are the trifecta of cookies. Pretty, easy and delicious. Everything you want for holiday baking!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pistachios – you can use roasted salted pistachios or raw pistachios. Roasted have more flavour, but raw are brighter in colour.
Lemon – you can use regular lemons or Meyer lemons.
Butter – bust out your best butter for these shortbread cookies. Unsalted butter is specified, as it is generally fresher. If using salted butter, adjust the added salt in the cookies accordingly.
Recipe Tips
- If you have a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, that would be ideal for these cookies. Not only will you be able to remove them from the pan easily, you will get a lovely scalloped edge around the outside of your cookies.
- I didn’t have a 9-inch tart pan though, so I used a 9-inch round cake pan lined with a round of parchment on the bottom. It bakes up just as well, but makes it a little trickier to remove the cookies after they’ve cooled. I find that lifting out the first cookie with a fork from the thick, outside edge is the easiest way to go. Once you have the first one out, it’s a breeze after that. If it happens to break, consider it a “baker’s sample” and eat it. You’ll still be able to make a nice circle of cookies even if you’re missing that one ;)
- As you dip your cookies to glaze, you may start to get some small bits of cookie in your glaze. Simply use a spoon to move those bits to the edges, away from where you are dipping, so you don’t get cookie bits in your glaze.
Top Tip!
I’ve increased the amount of glaze here, as I find that it’s much easier to dip when you start with a good amount of glaze. You don’t want to be scraping the bottom of the bowl. That’s not going to make pretty cookies. Having more glaze to start just avoids all that, but it does mean that you will have more than you need to glaze all these cookies. I hate to waste, but it’s only a bit of icing sugar and lemon juice. Or if you happen to have other baking that needs a dollop of something, you can use your extra that way.
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Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, reduce to a pinch if using salted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained of seeds and pulp
- 1/4 cup salted, roasted pistachios, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter, icing sugar vanilla and salt until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour just until combined.
- Press dough into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom (or alternately, a 9-inch round cake pan, lining the bottom with a round of parchment paper.) Flatten dough with the palm of your hand to make a smooth surface. Using a sharp knife, score the surface of the dough in to 16 wedges. Prick each wedge with a fork twice. Refrigerate pan with dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted)
- Bake cookies in preheated oven until firm and pale golden, about 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then, using a sharp knife, cut through the score lines you made before baking, wiping off the blade between each cut. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Meanwhile, prepare glaze by whisking together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Tip: Be sure to use a bowl that will allow you to dip the cookies in flat from end to end, so it should be at least 5-inches wide. That said, don't use too big a bowl or your glaze will be too thin a layer and you may bottom-out when you dip).
- Remove cookies from pan to a rack. Holding a cookie by the sides, dip the top of the cookie into the glaze to coat. Hold point side down and allow the excess to drip off. Gently remove any drip at the point end by running it along the edge of the bowl. Place on to rack. Once you've done 4 or 5, sprinkle those ones with some of the chopped pistachio. Repeat until you have glazed and sprinkled all the cookies. Allow to stand until the glaze is set, about 1 hour. Store in a flat even layer in an airtight container. These keep well stored at room temperature for about a week. These would also freeze well!
Notes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Is it possible to make the dough ahead of time and freeze? Or make ahead and refrigerate? If so, for how long?
Hi Dhara, I have never tried to freeze the dough. It should keep in the fridge, well wrapped, for up to 24 hours I would think.
This was the first recipe I’ve tried from this site, and also my very first time making shortbread! At first, I was skeptical because I had a hard time getting the dough levelled evenly in the pan. However, these turned out absolutely deliciously, and look so beautiful! My family loved them! I did have some leftover lemon glaze, so I used that to top off cheesecake bars! Thank you so much Jen for these delicious recipes!
So glad to hear, Kay! Thanks so much :)
Very excited to make these tonight! But just curious if you let the cookies cool at all before dipping them in the icing after they cook? Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Jasmine and yes, you’ll want to make sure the cookies are completely cool before dipping in the glaze. Any warmth in the cookie will melt the glaze. Do enjoy!
Fantastic recipe and so easy to make. I used a pizza cutter to quickly score the shortbread before baking but that’s the only thing I did differently. They look lovely on my white platter!
So glad to hear, Xia! Thanks :)
Hi Jennifer, I have been asked to take baked goods to a rehersal party. I have made your Dad’s shortbread and they are excellent. I am thinking of making the rose shortbreads and the lemon pistachio along with your Dad’s. Do the lemon and rose shortbread get better with age also?
Thanks
Hi Eliza and no, I find these ones have pretty good flavour right off the hop. They do keep pretty well though, so fine to make a little ahead.
I made these tonight for a party I’m going to tomorrow. My husband, who doesn’t tend to like lemon or citrus, thought they looked good so he decided to try one. He went back for seconds and thirds and wanted one for his lunch tomorrow as well! I guess they were a hit (I loved them as well!). I’ll just take a few less to the party. :-D
Thanks for all the recipes you share all year! Happy New Year! I’ll look forward to what you are bringing to the table in 2018.
Thanks so much, Sarah :) Glad they were a hit! Happy New Year to you, as well!
I thought I’d update you…. These cookies were the first ones gone at the party I attended tonight! Several people asked for the recipe so I’ll be sending them to your site!
That’s great! I know first hand how hard these are to resist. They sat on my counter for a few days and I couldn’t manage to walk by them without breaking off a piece :)
This is my new favorite recipe. The shortbread is so tender and buttery. The glaze is delicious. Eating one was not enough!
Thanks Niki and so glad to hear! And I know I didn’t stop at one ;)
These cookies are fantastic! Love the play of flavour and texture. I thought I was making them for my family but my son and hubby quickly snagged them to bring to work that day! Super easy yet presented elegantly! Looks like I’m baking again today! ?
So glad to hear, Beverly and yes, I love how easy, but pretty these cookies are, not to mention pretty darned tasty :) Thanks!
This shortbread looks absolutely gorgeous! I can almost taste it too! Beautiful work!
Thanks so much, Anna :)
These are just soo pretty! I’d love to try them. Some of my fav flavors!
Thanks so much, Natasha :)
These looks fantastic! I love pistachio and lemon together- will make them this holiday season. Thanks for a lovely blog – from another cold region like mine!
Thanks so much, Lisa and yes, Vermont and Muskoka have a lot in common. Watching it snow as I type :)
YES…..YES!!
What a divine cookie Jennifer, you sure do make me drool…..LOL!
Another recipe that I’m adding to my Christmas cookie list of “MUST-MAKE NOW”.
Have a nice day!
Thanks so much, Dalila :) You won’t be disappointed in these cookies. I’ve been munching on them all week and they are still delicious :)
So pretty, love that glaze and pistachio topping!
Thanks so much, Laura :)
Hi ! Looks very elegant and awesome looking ! Would you any recommend for substituting with Pistachio ? Any different nuts ? Or even without it is OK to make ?
Thank you so much !
Hi Yuriko and thanks :) You could skip the nuts and just garnish with poppy seeds and a bit of lemon zest.
Love that they’re so simple to shape! They look way more work intensive than they are. Lovely cookies :)
Thanks Giselle and yes, these were so easy to make, but only we’ll know that ;)