Lazy lemon shortbread for a hot summer’s day:  a food processor whizzes the dough together in a touch of the button, and it bakes at a relatively low temperature (300 degrees), keeping kitchen heat to a minimum.  Lots of lemon zest–in the cookie, in the icing–lend a bright, sparkling citrus flavor.

The recipe come s from Nancy Baggett’s All-American Cookie Book, a nearly 400-page compendium of US cookie recipes.  Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/3 cup cornstarch; set aside.  In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 1/2 T granulated sugar, 2 T grated lemon zest; pulse together until fragrant.  To the processor, add 1 1/2 sticks softened butter, 1/4 tsp salt, & 2 tsp lemon juice.  Process about 1 minute, until blended and fluffy.  Add the flour mixture; pulse until a smooth dough forms (stop several times and scrape the sides).

Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch square pan lined with buttered foil. (The bottom of a jar, drinking glass, or measuring cup help in this task.)  Bake at 300 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until light brown in the middle and slightly darker at the edges.  Cool in the pan slightly, then lift out the cookies using the foil liner.  Gently slice into small squares or fingers, but do not separate.  When completely cool, ice (combine 2 T sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp corn syrup, 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth), allow icing to set, and separate into individual cookies.