Australian-Style Lemon Myrtle Shortbread
This Australian-style lemon myrtle shortbread creams butter with native lemon myrtle for a tender, intensely citrus-scented cookie, ready in just over an hour including chill time. Lemon myrtle smells more lemony than lemon itself, which sounds impossible until you actually bake with it and your kitchen fills with a citrus aroma sharper than any zest could manage. Serve a few alongside our Korean-style citron tea for an afternoon of very serious citrus business.
Quick answer: Buttery shortbread creamed with native Australian lemon myrtle, an ingredient more intensely lemon-scented than lemon zest itself. Tender, pale, and fragrant, ready in just over an hour including chill time.
Instructions
Cream the butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the ground lemon myrtle.
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together, then gradually mix into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
Shape the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes until firm.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Slice the log into 1/4-inch rounds and place on a lined baking sheet, spaced apart.
Bake for 16-18 minutes until the edges are just barely golden. The centers should still look pale, shortbread shouldn't brown much.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Dust with a little extra sugar while still warm if you like.
Questions people actually ask
It's a native Australian plant with leaves that have an intensely lemony aroma, often considered even more fragrant than lemon zest. It's sold dried and ground in specialty spice shops and online.
Yes, use about a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest plus a pinch of dried thyme for a similar herbal-citrus effect, though it won't be identical to true lemon myrtle.
Classic shortbread is meant to stay pale with just a hint of gold at the edges. Over-browning dries it out and makes it taste more like a regular butter cookie than a tender shortbread.
Stored in an airtight container, these keep well for up to 2 weeks at room temperature, and the dough log freezes well for up to 3 months unbaked.
You might also zest
From the blog
Comments
Be the first to leave a comment.