Ingredients
Method
Step-by-Step
- Heat the oven to 160°C fan-forced/320°F, or 170°C conventional/340°F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- Beat the softened butter, icing sugar, and vanilla until pale, smooth, and creamy.
- Sift the plain flour and cornflour together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix only until a soft dough forms.
- Pipe the dough with a star or fluted nozzle, or roll it into small balls of approximately 2 teaspoons each. Arrange on the prepared trays and flatten lightly with a fork.
- If the dough feels very soft, chill the shaped cookies for 15–30 minutes. Bake for 10–15 minutes, removing them while they remain pale and only very lightly golden at the edges.
- Cool the cookies on the trays for several minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely.
- For the filling, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar, then beat in enough lemon juice to create a thick, spreadable icing; add optional lemon zest or vanilla.
- Spread or pipe the filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies and dust with extra icing sugar if desired.
Notes
Do not overmix after adding the flour and cornflour, as overworking can make the cookies firm. Keep the butter softened but not melted, and chill shaped dough briefly if it feels warm or loose. Store filled cookies in an airtight container for 3–5 days; unfilled baked cookies can generally be kept for about 1 week.