Vegan Lemon Sandwich Cookies
Vegan lemon sandwich cookies - these delicate lemon shortbread biscuits with lemon buttercream are light, crisp and delicious. They would make a lovely treat for Easter or as part of an afternoon tea.
Servings 22 cookies
Ingredients
Biscuits:
- 200 g (½ + ⅓ cup) vegan block butter (NOT the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) slightly softened
- 100 g (½ cup) caster (superfine) or granulated sugar
- finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 50 g (5 packed Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 250 g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
Buttercream:
- 75 g (scant ⅓ cup) vegan block butter (NOT the spreadable kind. I use Naturli Vegan Block) slightly softened
- 200 g (1 + ⅔ cup) icing (powdered) sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until well combined.
- Whisk in the cornflour (cornstarch) then add the plain flour and stir in until all the flour is moistened and no lumps of butter remain.
- Use your hands to bring the dough together. Divide it in half and shape each half in a disc.
- Wrap each disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so until the dough is firm enough to roll out. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
- Roll one of the discs of dough out on a floured surface to 4mm thick. Use approximately 6 cm/ 2 ⅓rd in cookie cutters in your choice of shapes to cut out as many cookies as you can.
- Gently transfer the cookies to the baking sheet, slightly spaced apart.
- Repeat with the other disc of dough. Bring together the scraps of dough, roll out again and cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes first if it has become too soft to roll.
- Place the trays of cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes, or the fridge for 30 while you preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Bake the chilled cookies for approximately 15 minutes until light golden around the edges. Cool on the tray for 5 mins then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, whisk together the butter, icing sugar, lemon zest, juice and extract with an electric mixer for a good few minutes until it is light and fluffy.
- Spread a little buttercream over the base of one of the cookies and top with another cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Drizzle the tops of the assembled cookies with a little melted vegan white chocolate if you like.
Notes
- See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
- All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- These cookies have a delicate lemon flavour. For punchier cookies, fill them with vegan lemon curd instead of or as well as the buttercream.
- The cookies will keep for around 4-5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Once filled with buttercream they will become slightly softer over time.