Anna Louise I always think lemon biscuits are underrated. They do not have the drama of a chocolate chip cookie or the nostalgia of a shortbread but they do something neither of those does — they taste genuinely bright and refreshing as well as buttery and sweet.
The lemon cuts through the richness of the butter in a way that makes you reach for another one before you have finished the first.
These are the biscuits I make most often when someone is coming for tea who does not particularly like chocolate. They also happen to be the ones that disappear fastest.
Mary Berry’s lemon biscuits recipe uses both the zest and a little juice of unwaxed lemons, which gives a more complex lemon flavour than zest alone.
The biscuits are rolled thin and baked until properly crisp — not soft and chewy, but genuinely snappy and light. And a thin lemon glaze brushed over the still-warm biscuits gives a slightly sticky, slightly crunchy top that makes them completely irresistible.
Zest and Juice Together — Why Both Matter
Lemon zest gives fragrance — the essential oils in the skin are intensely aromatic and give a vivid, slightly floral lemon character that juice alone does not have.
Lemon juice gives sharpness — the citric acid that gives lemon its characteristic bright, sour edge.
Using both gives biscuits that smell wonderfully of lemon and taste properly lemony rather than just vaguely citrus flavoured. The difference between biscuits made with zest alone and biscuits made with both is immediately apparent.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Lemon Biscuits
For the Biscuits (Makes about 24)
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 150g golden caster sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- Finely grated zest of 2 large unwaxed lemons
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 275g plain flour, sifted
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of fine salt
For the Lemon Glaze
- 150g icing sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon (optional — gives little flecks of zest in the icing)
How to Make Mary Berry Lemon Biscuits
Step 1 — Make the Dough
Beat the softened butter and golden caster sugar together with an electric hand whisk for three to four minutes until pale and really fluffy. Add the egg yolk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the bowl. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. It will come together cleanly and should not be sticky — if it is very soft, refrigerate for fifteen minutes before rolling.
Step 2 — Chill the Dough
Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling firms the dough and makes it much easier to roll thinly without it sticking or cracking.
Step 3 — Roll and Cut
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 4mm thickness. Cut into rounds with a 6cm cutter or into any shape you like — I use simple rounds because they bake evenly but any cutter works. Place on the lined trays with a little space between each.
Gather the trimmings, re-roll once, and cut again.
Step 4 — Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the biscuits are pale golden at the edges and just set across the surface. They should not be deeply golden — pale golden is correct for a crisp, delicate lemon biscuit.
Leave on the tray for five minutes — they firm up considerably as they cool. Then transfer to a wire rack.
Step 5 — Make and Apply the Glaze
Mix the sifted icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a smooth, slightly runny glaze — it should flow easily off a spoon but not be watery. Add the lemon zest to the glaze if using.
While the biscuits are still slightly warm — not hot, but just warm — brush the glaze over the top of each one with a pastry brush or spoon it over. The slight warmth helps the glaze set with a thin, slightly glossy finish rather than a thick white coating.
Leave to set completely — about twenty minutes.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Lemon Biscuits
Use unwaxed lemons. The wax on regular lemons can give the zest a slightly waxy, flat flavour. Unwaxed lemons — almost always available in the supermarket near the regular lemons — give a cleaner, more vivid result.
Chill the dough before rolling. Thirty minutes in the fridge makes the dough significantly easier to handle and gives biscuits that hold their shape better during baking. Warm dough spreads too much in the oven.
Roll to 4mm — not thinner. Thinner biscuits bake too quickly and can become too crisp and brittle. 4mm gives a biscuit that is crisp and snappy but still has a little substance to it.
Take them out while still pale. These biscuits should be a very light golden at the edges when they come out. They crisp further as they cool. If they look properly golden in the oven, they will be too dark and slightly bitter by the time they are cool.
Apply glaze while slightly warm. A biscuit that is completely cold does not absorb the glaze in the same way — it sits on top and can slide off. Slightly warm means the glaze is absorbed just enough to give a proper, set finish.
Serving Suggestions
With a cup of Earl Grey or lemon verbena tea — the pairing is perfect. As part of an afternoon tea biscuit selection alongside shortbread and ginger biscuits. As a gift in a tin tied with ribbon — they look beautiful and keep for a week. As a simple teatime treat that takes about an hour start to finish.
How to Store Mary Berry Lemon Biscuits
At room temperature: Store in an airtight tin for up to a week. The biscuits stay crisp throughout.
In the freezer: Freeze unbaked dough wrapped in cling film for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking. Or freeze baked un-iced biscuits for up to 3 months — add the glaze fresh after defrosting.
Mary Berry Lemon Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Beat butter and sugar 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolk, lemon zest, and juice — beat to combine. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt — mix to a soft dough.
- Wrap in cling film. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Line two baking trays.
- Roll dough to 4mm on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds with a 6cm cutter. Place on trays with space between. Gather trimmings — re-roll once.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until pale golden at the edges. Cool on tray 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.
- Mix icing sugar with enough lemon juice for a smooth runny glaze. Brush or spoon over slightly warm biscuits. Leave to set 20 minutes.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use lemon extract instead of fresh lemon?
I would always choose fresh lemon over extract for these biscuits — the zest and juice of real lemons give a complex, vivid flavour that lemon extract cannot replicate. If you only have extract, use ½ tsp in the dough alongside the zest.
Can I make these without the glaze?
Yes — the biscuits are very good without the glaze, just slightly less sweet and less dramatic looking. Dust with icing sugar instead for a simpler finish.
Can I make these with orange instead of lemon?
Yes — orange biscuits made with the same recipe are wonderful. Use the zest of two oranges and a tablespoon of orange juice. The glaze uses orange juice instead of lemon. They are slightly sweeter and more mellow than the lemon version.
Why are my biscuits spreading too much?
The dough was too warm when it went into the oven. Make sure the dough is properly chilled before rolling and that the trays go into a fully preheated oven. If they are still spreading, chill the cut biscuits on the tray for ten minutes before baking.
Can I add poppy seeds?
Yes — one tablespoon of poppy seeds mixed into the dough gives a wonderful little bit of texture and looks very pretty in a pale lemon biscuit.
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