Recipe for Lemon Shortbread Biscuits: A Zesty Delight

These melt-in-your-mouth lemon shortbread biscuits are the perfect treat for any occasion. Their delicate texture and bright citrus flavor make them irresistible. This recipe focuses on simple ingredients and straightforward instructions, resulting in a batch of delicious biscuits that are sure to impress. Let's get baking!

Ingredients You'll Need:

This recipe yields approximately 12-15 biscuits. Adjust quantities as needed for larger batches.

• 170g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 50g (2oz) caster sugar
• 250g (9oz) plain flour
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: 1 tablespoon icing sugar for dusting

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Preparing the Dough:

• Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F / Gas Mark 3). Line a baking tray with baking parchment. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking.
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. A hand mixer or stand mixer works well for this, but you can also achieve this with a fork and some elbow grease!
• Add the lemon zest and salt to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine the flavors.
• Gradually add the plain flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix, as this can result in tough biscuits.

2. Shaping and Baking the Biscuits:

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it a couple of times to bring it together.
• Roll out the dough to about 1cm (½ inch) thickness. Use a round cookie cutter or a knife to cut out biscuits.
• Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking tray, leaving some space between each one. They will spread slightly during baking.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Keep a close eye on them to avoid burning.

3. Cooling and Serving:

• Remove the biscuits from the oven and let them cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool, you can dust them with icing sugar for an extra touch of sweetness and elegance.

Tips for Perfect Lemon Shortbread Biscuits:

• Use good quality butter: The flavor of the butter will significantly impact the final taste of the biscuits.
• Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough biscuits.
• Chill the dough (optional): For a richer flavor and easier handling, you can chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling and cutting.
• Experiment with flavors: Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or other citrus zest for a twist on this classic recipe.

SEO Keywords:

This article incorporates keywords such as: lemon shortbread biscuits, lemon shortbread recipe, shortbread recipe, easy shortbread recipe, baking recipe, easy biscuit recipe, lemon biscuits recipe, homemade biscuits, lemon treats, tea biscuits. These keywords are naturally integrated throughout the text, improving search engine optimization (SEO).

Off-Page SEO Considerations:

To further boost this article's SEO, consider the following off-page strategies:

• Social Media Sharing: Share the recipe on relevant social media platforms.
• Pinterest: Create visually appealing images of the finished biscuits to pin on Pinterest.
• Recipe Blogs and Websites: Submit the recipe to relevant recipe websites and blogs.
• Backlinks: Seek backlinks from other food blogs or websites.

By following these steps and incorporating both on-page and off-page SEO strategies, your blog post about lemon shortbread biscuits will have a much better chance of ranking highly in search engine results. Enjoy baking and happy sharing!