Any pihikete (cookies) that sparkle must be good right? These Lemon Shortbread Cookies are super sparkly and have a lemon and white chocolate flavour combination to boot. They are the perfect cookies for celebration and demand a moment slowed down for the decoration process. What colours will you use? What sprinkles will draw your eye? My cookies are simply a guide, now it is your time to shine.
What will your lemon shortbread cookies look like? Are you creating star shapes for Matariki (the Māori new year) or Kirihimete (Christmas)? Or are you making heart shapes for Valentines or for a kids birthday. There are so many ways to make this recipe suit your season. Karawhuia e te whānau - go for it family!
The ultimate combination is to serve these along the super elegant Orange Panna Cotta. These two recipes are the perfect marriage of class and flavour so take a look at let me know what you think.
More pihikete (biscuit) recipes:
Have you ever tasted Hundreds and Thousands Biscuits made in your own home? Well let me tell you, they are a must try and are also great for tamariki (kids) to make.
Photography and videography by Sarah Henderson.
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
- Butter: I always use salted pata (butter) in my baking but use unsalted if you prefer.
- Icing Sugar: This helps keep this pihikete (cookies) super light which make them melt in your mouth when you are eating them.
- Lemon Zest: Lemon zest or orange zest would work well in this recipe. The citrus in these cookies bring a levely fresh flavour.
- Vanilla: Yes I add heaps of vanilla in these but it is worth, just trust me.
- Flour: Plain or high grade flour would work in this recipe.
- Chocolate: I love the combination of white and dark chocolate in this recipe because it really compliments the lemon but use whatever chocolate you love.
- Sprinkles: Use whatever ruireka (sprinkles) bring you joy, this is not the time to hold back, just sprinkle until you can sprinkle no more!
- Freeze-dried passionfruit powder: It seems a bit extreme but a good dusting of this makes the tastebuds tingle!
Expert tips:
Take the time to whip the butter and sugar for 5 minutes, this helps give a lovely soft crumb to the pihikete (cookies) and a little rise when baking.
Do not over knead the dough when you are making the dough. Just bring the ingredients together and then stop kneading.
I like to dip my cookie cutter in to flour, press it in to the dough and then pinch the cutter so it holds on to the dough and place it on a tray. This saves you from lifting each cookie off the baking paper with a knife but as always, it is up to you!
Once the pihikete (cookies) are all cut out, chill the tray and all for 15 minutes. This helps them keep their shape when they are baking.
Melt the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) in a double boiler as white chocolate can easily burn in the microwave. Treat it with care and melt it gently!
Decorate around 5 cookies with white chocolate and add the sprinkles. This way the tiakarete (chocolate) won't set before you have the sprinkles on.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LEMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. Whip the Butter and Sugar:
Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar), kiri rēmana (lemon zest), wanira (vanilla) and tote (salt) in to large bowl.
Whip on high for 5 minutes until light in colour and fluffy in texture.
2.Add the Dry Ingredients:
Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and puehu kānga (cornflour).
Stir with a spatula or a knife to roughly combine the ingredients.
3. Gently Knead the Dough:
Tip it on to a lightly floured tēpu (table) and gently knead until all the dough has come together.
Do not over knead the dough here, just bring the ingredients together and stop kneading.
4. Roll out the Dough:
Add the dough to a large piece of baking paper and roll it out to approximately 1.5 cm thick.
5. Cut out the Cookie Shapes:
Cut out the shapes you are creating. I like to dip my cutter in to flour, press it in to the dough and then pinch the cutter so it holds on to the dough and place it on a tray.
You can also just press the shapes all over and remove the excess pieces of dough, leaving it on the baking paper you rolled it out on.
Combine the scraps of dough, roll them out again and repeat the process.
6. Chill the Cookies:
Once you have filled the tray with pihikete (biscuits), refrigerate for 15 minutes, tray and all. This helps the pihikete (cookies) keep their shape when they bake.
7. Bake the Cookies:
Preheat your oven to 160 °C.
Bake the pihikete (biscuits) for 15 minutes until golden.
Remove from the oven and cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
8. Melt the White Chocolate:
Chop the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) in to small chunks and add them to a heat proof bowl.
Place the bowl on top of a pot of barely simmering water that is around 3cm deep. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Stir it occasionally until it is melted and smooth.
10. Decorate the Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
Add ½ teaspoon of tiakarete mā kua rewaina (melted white chocolate) on to each cookie.
Sprinkle with ruireka (sprinkles) in whatever fashion you like whilst the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) is not set.
Do around 5 cookies at a time and then do the sprinkles so the tiakarete (chocolate) doesn't set before you have them on.
Chill for 10 minutes.
They are ready to eat just as they are.
11. Add Passionfruit Flavour (Optional):
For a bit of kōhia (passionfruit) zing, you can sprinkle a touch of paura kōhia tauraki-tio (freeze dried passionfruit powder) on to the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) before it has set.
12. Add some Dark Chocolate (Optional):
You can also melt the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) in the same way you melted the tiakarete mā (white chocolate).
Then use a small piping tip to pipe designs on to the set white chocolate. There are no rules here - just have fun with it.
13. Chill the Cookies:
Whakamātaohia (refirgerate) for 10 - 20 minutes until all the tiakarete (chocolate) is set.
14. Gift them to Others:
These are perfect for giving away to friends and whānau (family) during the Christmas season.
Put them in a second hand cookie tin and tie them in a bow!
Storing the Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
These will keep well for up to a week in a sealed container.
They can be stored in the fridge or a cool cupboard.
Take a browse through our
Pihikete (biscuit) Recipes
These small morsels of baked goodness can lift anyone's mood.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?
It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.
I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies - Pihikete Pata Rēmana
Ingredients
The Lemon Biscuits - Ngā Pihikete Rēmana
- 250 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- 1 C (165 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- Kiri rēmana (lemon zest, of 2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) wanira (vanilla)
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) tote (salt)
- 2 C (300 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 C (120 g) puehu kānga (cornflour)
The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (All Optional)
- 100 g tiakarete mā (white chocolate)
- 60 g Ruireka (sprinkles, of your choosing, mine were a pack from the supermarket)
- 50 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate, 50%)
- 3 tablespoon paura kōhia tauraki-tio (freeze dried passionfruit powder)
Instructions
Whip the Butter and Sugar:
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar), kiri rēmana (lemon zest), wanira (vanilla) and tote (salt) in to large bowl.
- Whip on high for 5 minutes until light in colour and fluffy in texture.
Add the Dry Ingredients:
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and puehu kānga (cornflour).
- Stir with a spatula or a knife to roughly combine the ingredients.
Gently Knead the Dough:
- Tip it on to a lightly floured tēpu (table) and gently knead until all the dough has come together. Do not over knead the dough here, just bring the ingredients together and stop kneading.
Roll out the Dough:
- Add the dough to a large piece of baking paper and roll it out to approximately 1.5 cm thick.
Cut out the Cookie Shapes:
- Cut out the shapes you are creating. I like to dip my cutter in to flour, press it in to the dough and then pinch the cutter so it holds on to the dough and place it on a tray.
- You can also just press the shapes all over and remove the excess pieces of dough, leaving it on the baking paper you rolled it out on.
- Combine the scraps of dough, roll them out again and repeat the process.
Chill the Cookies:
- Once you have filled the tray with pihikete (biscuits), refrigerate for 15 minutes, tray and all. This helps the pihikete (cookies) keep their shape when they bake.
Bake the Cookies:
- Preheat your oven to 160 °C.
- Bake the pihikete (biscuits) for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Melt the White Chocolate:
- Chop the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) in to small chunks and add them to a heat proof bowl.
- Place the bowl on top of a pot of barely simmering water that is around 3cm deep. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Stir it occasionally until it is melted and smooth. I recommend using this method with tiakarete mā (white chocolate) as it can burn easily in the microwave.
Decorate the Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
- Add ½ teaspoon of tiakarete mā kua rewaina (melted white chocolate) on to each cookie.
- Sprinkle with ruireka (sprinkles) in whatever fashion you like whilst the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) is not set.
- Do around 5 cookies at a time and then do the sprinkles so the tiakarete (chocolate) doesn't set before you have them on.
- Chill for 10 minutes. They are ready to eat just as they are.
Add Passionfruit Flavour (Optional):
- For a bit of kōhia (passionfruit) zing, you can sprinkle a touch of paura kōhia tauraki-tio (freeze dried passionfruit powder) on to the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) before it has set.
Add some Dark Chocolate (Optional):
- You can also melt the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) in the same way you melted the tiakarete mā (white chocolate). Then use a small piping tip to pipe designs on to the set white chocolate. There are no rules here - just have fun with it.
Chill the Cookies:
- Whakamātaohia (refirgerate) for 10 - 20 minutes until all the tiakarete (chocolate) is set.
Gift them to Others:
- These are perfect for giving away to friends and whānau (family) during the Christmas season. Put them in a second hand cookie tin and tie them in a bow!
Storing the Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
- These will keep well for up to a week in a sealed container. They can be stored in the fridge or a cool cupboard.
Christina Mineo
These look fabulous especially with the added decorations!!
Naomi Toilalo WhānauKai
Thanks so much Christina, they are super cute aye. The decorations are endless - just have fun with it I say!