Lemon Shortbread Christmas Wreaths
Welcome to Episode 1 of my new baking series, Small Bakes, Big Cheer! Over six fun and festive episodes, I’ll be sharing simple, stress-free bakes that bring a little extra magic to your Christmas season. And we’re starting with something super cute, buttery, and bright: lemon shortbread Christmas wreaths.
These little biscuits are the perfect festive treat that are easy enough to make in no time, fun to decorate, and just sweet enough to share (or sneak a few before anyone sees). With zesty lemon icing and tiny holly-and-berry sprinkles, they look impressive without any complicated techniques, making them ideal for beginners, kids, or anyone who loves a simple Christmas bake.
Whether you’re looking for a quick festive snack, a gift idea, or just a way to fill your kitchen with holiday cheer, these lemon shortbread Christmas wreaths are a joyful place to start.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Shortbread Christmas Wreaths
1. They’re incredibly simple to make
Shortbread is one of the easiest biscuits you can bake: just butter, sugar, flour, and in this case, fresh lemon zest for a bright festive twist. There’s no chilling required (though I do recommend chilling the dough for cleaner shapes). With no fancy techniques, and no special equipment beyond two round cutters, they’re simple enough for anyone to bake.
2. Perfect for festive decorating
Turning each biscuit into a Christmas wreath makes decorating genuinely fun rather than fiddly. A quick drizzle or thin piping of lemon icing is all you need. Add a few holly-and-berry sprinkles and suddenly they look like something straight out of a Christmas bakery window.
3. Great for gifting and sharing
These biscuits hold their shape beautifully, pack well into boxes or jars, and stay delicious for days. They make a thoughtful homemade gift for teachers, neighbours, party hosts, or anyone who loves a festive treat.
4. A fun bake for kids and beginners
The dough is forgiving, the decorating is playful, and the results are so cute that it feels more like crafting than baking. Perfect for getting children involved or introducing someone to Christmas baking for the first time.
5. They bring a bright twist to traditional Christmas flavours
With so many bakes leaning towards spices, chocolate and dried fruit at Christmas, the lemon flavour feels refreshingly light and uplifting: a lovely balance to the richness of the season.
Ingredients you’ll need:
Unsalted butter
Golden caster sugar
Plain flour
Lemon zest
A teaspoon of vanilla extract
For the icing:
Icing sugar
Fresh lemon juice
Optional: food colouring (white looks snowy, but other colours can be fun too)
Holly & berry sprinkles
Tips for Perfect Wreath Biscuits
Chill for cleaner edges: a 10–15 minute chill before baking keeps the wreath shapes crisp.
Don’t over-bake: shortbread should stay pale. Over-baking makes it crumbly rather than melt-in-the-mouth.
Use a zester, not a grater: this avoids bitter pith and gives a beautifully fragrant lemon flavour.
Add the sprinkles with tweezers: this avoids fingers smudging the icing and creates a neater finish.
How to Store or Gift Your Lemon Shortbread Christmas Wreaths
These biscuits stay fresh for up to a week in an airtight tin, sometimes longer. For gifting, place a sheet of baking paper between layers to protect the icing, or arrange them in a single-layer cookie box for the prettiest presentation.
They’re ideal for Christmas Eve boxes, cookie trays, teacher gifts, festive parties, or simply a cosy afternoon treat with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.
Lemon Shortbread Wreaths
If you're planning a selection of simple, stress-free holiday bakes, these Lemon Shortbread Wreaths tick every box: quick to make, adorable to decorate, full of bright flavour, and guaranteed to impress. They’re the kind of bake that makes your kitchen smell cosy and festive with barely any effort, which is exactly what the Christmas season is all about.
Makes 24 wreaths
Ingredients
100g golden caster sugar
200g unsalted butter
300g plain flour
Zest of 2 lemons
1tsp vanilla extract
For the icing:
200g icing sugar, sifted
Juice of 1 lemon
You’ll need:
Fluted round cutters in two sizes
Holly & berry sprinkles
Method
Preheat your oven to 160C / 325F.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and smooth. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
Add the flour and lemon zest to the butter‑sugar mixture and mix well until it’s coming together to form a dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough, so that the shortbread stays crumbly and tender.
Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking parchment to a 5 mm (¼ inch) thickness. Use your desired cutter to cut rounds from the dough, and then use the smaller circular cutter to cut ‘holes’ in the middle to form your wreath shape.
Transfer the biscuits to a baking tray lined with baking parchment (or a non‑stick tray). For slightly sharper edges, chill the cut biscuits in the fridge for about 15 minutes before baking.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the biscuits are just turning pale golden at the edges. Keep an eye on them as overbaking will make the shortbread too dry rather than buttery and melt‑in‑the‑mouth.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make your icing by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl and adding the juice of one lemon. Mix well until everything is combined and the mixture is smooth.
Dip one side of your wreath biscuits into the icing, allow the excess to drip off then place onto a tray. Repeat with all biscuits.
Using your fingers or a pair of tweezers, carefully lay two sprigs of holly and 3 berry sprinkles onto each biscuit. Allow to dry completely before enjoying.
