Feature photo for Easter Tea Party Lemon shortbread cookies
Food,  Projects

Easter Tea Party Time–A New Lemon Shortbread Cookie

As Easter approaches, it’s the perfect time to start planning a delightful tea party to celebrate the season. And what better way to surprise your guests than with a delicious and unique treat? Creativity took me to a lemon shortbread cookie. But what form would they take? Tea bag cookies? Chick cookies? or Easter mini houses? Wouldn’t they be just the thing to add a touch of whimsy to your Easter gathering? Bursting with tart and sweet flavor, they’re sure to be a hit with both kids and adults alike. Plus, they’re surprisingly fun and easy to make and have ready when guests drop in. Read on for the recipe and get ready to impress your guests!

Spring weather has arrived here with the crocus and daffodils making their appearance. It made me think perhaps we might just need an Easter tea party this year!

We have had fairy garden tea parties…afternoon tea parties and even birthday tea parties here.

If you missed that fairy garden tea party, you need to see the cutest Easter Tea party set that we used.

bunny tea cup for fairy tea party

But this time? What if we switched things up a bit.

How about taking a great lemon cookie recipe to decorate in different ways and enjoy with our tea? Easter shaped chicks, eggs and basket cookies would be great with this recipe.

Can you imagine a new version of those tiny gingerbread houses with this lemon shortbread cookie recipe?

Just switch out the gingerbread recipe for this one and have fun with a bit of Easter sprinkles to decorate those tiny houses.

What about creating “tea bag” shaped cookies? You may have to try them all, too, with this recipe!

Here’s the recipe for those cookies:

Feature photo for Easter Tea Party Lemon shortbread cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

An Easter and spring version of a lemon shortbread to create variations for the perfect tea time!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Course Tea time
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 1 mixer
  • 1 oven
  • 1 Baking Sheet
  • Measuring cups/spoons
  • 1 juicer
  • 1 zester or grater
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 spool of twine or ribbon for teabag hanger
  • tags for the end of the teabag twine or ribbon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 C butter, softened
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 T lemon zest
  • 2 1/3 C all purpose flour
  • 1 t salt
  • sprinkles to decorate cut cookies and houses
  • 3 oz white chocolate or almond bark
  • food coloring to color white chocolate

Instructions
 

  • In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy with your mixer.
  • Beat in egg and lemon juice and zest.
    Adding lemon zest and lemon juice to butter and sugar for Easter lemon shortbread cookies
  • In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt. Gradually beat in flour into creamed mixture.
    dry ingredients
  • When dough is completely mixed, remove it from the mixing bowl and form a disk in a ziplock storage bag OR onto parchment paper.
    lemon shortbread cookie dough
  • If adding dough to parchment paper, fold over to completely seal. Add to a food storage bag if you'd like.
    lemon shortbread dough wrapped in parchment paper
  • Refrigerate about 3 hours until firm enough to roll.
  • When ready to make cookies, preheat oven to 350°.
  • Place cookie dough onto counter and top with another piece of parchment paper to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.
    rolling pin on dough with parchment paper on top
  • Roll with a rolling pin until dough is about 1/8" thick.
  • Remove top parchment paper and using cookie cutters or template, cut out cookies and place onto an ungreased cookie cutter.
    TIP: try to keep dough as cold as possible while rolling/cutting for best results.
    cutting out tea bag cookies
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes until slightly brown around the edges.
  • FOR Tea Bag cookies–
    Use a rectangular cookie cutter and then cut off corners from each side of the top so that it resembles a tea bag.
    TIP: Make a pattern with card stock- mine was 2" x 3" with 1/2" corners off. Hole punch center placement where you will need to use the straw to cut out to add the twine after cooled.
    Use a straw to add a hole before baking for a string to be added after baking.
    After cookies are baked and cooled, add 1 oz. of white chocolate to the microwave and slowly melt. Add a bit of food coloring to make different pastel colors and patterns for the bottoms.
    Finish off with twine or ribbon looped through the hole to give it the "tea bag" look. Add a tag to the end of the ribbon to make it look more authentic.
    Easter Tea Bag lemon shortbread cookies
  • FOR Cookie Cutter cookies–
    USE Easter cookie cutters to cut before baking.
    After they have cooled, ice with your favorite glaze or royal icing with or without sprinkles.
    TIP: Microwave 1 oz of white chocolate and add gel food coloring to add an easy coating with a mini chocolate chip eye for the chicks.
    Easter Chick lemon shortbread cookies
  • FOR Mini Houses–
    Use the mini house cookie cutters with the dough before baking.
    For these, you may use royal icing to attach pieces and decorate or a melted chocolate left white or tinted with pastel colors. Easter sprinkles give it a more authentic look.
    Mini Easter cookie house
  • Decorate after cooling! Enjoy with your favorite tea!

Notes

These lemon shortbread cookies are perfect for a great tea party! Just switch the decorations for the theme of your tea party celebration.
Whether you make “tea bag”, mini houses or shaped lemon shortbread cookies…tea time will be beautifully and deliciously celebrated!
Nothing else needed but time with friends and family gathered with feet under your table.
Enjoy!
Keyword easter tea bag cookies, lemon shortbread cookies, mini Easter houses, spring tea time cookies

Easter Tea Party Pleasers!

Everyone will be amazed with these sweet lemon teabag cookies! Aren’t they the cutest?

Easter Tea Bag lemon shortbread cookies

Then there’s the Chick Cookies that match that Easter Greetings sign…

Easter Chick lemon shortbread cookies

Next, those mini Easter houses. Just a note…the tinted white chocolate was the only glue holding those houses and decorations together. The royal icing is definitely easier than the chocolate…but both will work! Oh, goodness! Royal icing with bags and tips will be used to make the next ones cuter.

Mini Easter cookie house

These can be perfect for any tea party celebration.

Customize them to your theme and with a favorite choice of tea, you will have created the BEST sweet afternoon tea.

Can’t you see these for a bridal or baby shower made with this lemon shortbread cookies recipe?

Perhaps just an afternoon tea where friends just gather for a great cup of tea, conversation and a “tea bag” cookie?

More Inspiration for Easter here…

If you need more ideas to decorate or entertain for Easter, here are a few more ideas that may help!

Thank you to Carol@Blueskyathome for gathering all of us together to share inspiration. Always a joy!

If you are joining here from Kim@PerfectingPlaces, her kitchen ideas are always the best!

If you are following along in order…join Michelle@thistlekeylane for some great spring and Easter Crafts.

spring kitchen decor
spring pot with flowrs
orange flowers in vase
spring vignette

Carol – Bluesky at Home

Kate – Southern Home and Hospitality

Kim – Perfecting Places

Leslie – Feet under My Table

spring DIY projects
spring bunny in vignette
blue vase with blue flowers

Michelle – Thistlekey Lane

Renae – Peacock Ridge Farm

Laura – Everyday Edits

bunny and flower vignette
spring tablescale
daffodils and card

Tammy – White Lilac Farmhouse

Regina – Saved from Salvage

Kristen – White Arrows Home

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