The rainy pre-spring weather calls for hot tea and hot tea calls for buttery shortbread.

In the early days of March, you can see that spring is right around the corner. The only problem for most people is that the weather is often very chilly and rainy. But personally, for me, I love it. Not only do I start to see my garden coming back to life, but I also get to cozy up with a nice cup of hot tea. Of course, when I enjoy my hot tea, I also like to indulge in some citrus-flavored and buttery shortbread. The combination of strong black tea with a citrusy sweet treat makes the perfect duo, and I enjoy them every spring.

Citrusy Shortbread Bars

1 cup of unsalted butter, room temp

¾ cup of granulated sugar

¼ cup fresh lemon and lime juice

2 ½ cups of All-Purpose flour

Citrus Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

¼ tsp kosher salt

Lemon and lime zest

Juice from one lemon and lime

1-2 TBSP whole milk

In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, lemon and lime juice. Add flour and mix well until dough is smooth. Press the dough evenly into a parchment lined 9x9” square pan. Cover with cling film and chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 300˚F. Bake your shortbread for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the shortbread to cool completely in the pan.

When your shortbread has cooled, make the citrus icing. To a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the milk. Whisk until the citrus juice is fully incorporated into the powdered sugar. Add the milk in a tablespoon at a time until the icing becomes a thick pourable consistency. 

With a rubber spatula and leaving the shortbread in the pan, smooth over and spread the icing over your cooled shortbread. Put aside until the icing has hardened, a couple of hours.

Once the icing is hard to the touch, remove the shortbread by lifting it out with the parchment. Using a sharp knife, cut shortbread into squares or bars. Enjoy your citrusy shortbread with a cup of hot tea.  

You can store your cut shortbread bars in an airtight container for up to a week. 

*Notes:

It’s important to use fresh lemons and limes for this shortbread recipe. Not only is the fresh juice brighter and more flavorful, the zest gives the icing a sharper citrus taste. 

Be careful when zesting the citrus for the icing. It’s easy to accidentally microplane or zest the pith. If you grate too much pith into the icing it will give the icing a bitter aftertaste.