These lovely lemon treats are quick and easy to make. They're also great for home freezing, so it's worth baking an extra batch if you have the space. Enjoy!

150g / 1¼ sticks salted butter, firm but not hard
90g / scant ½ cup (golden caster) sugar
170g / 1⅓ cups self-raising flour
55g / scant ½ cup plain / all-purpose flour
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
5cm / 2-inch round cookie cutter 

baking sheet lined with baking parchment

Makes 18-20

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

Sift the flours into another bowl. Add a quarter of the total flours to the creamed butter and stir in. 

Add another quarter of the flour and the lemon zest and begin rubbing the mixture together using your fingertips. Add the remaining flour, and mix again with your fingers. 

Knead gently into a malleable ball of dough. This can also be done by putting all the ingredients in a food processor and blending until it forms a smooth ball of dough.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until about 1 cm / ½ inch thick. Stamp out discs with the cookie cutter and arrange them 4 cm / 1½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll any leftover dough and cut out cookies, as before, until all the dough is used up.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the bases of the cookies are golden and the tops are almost firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set on the baking sheet before eating or storing.

The cookies will keep for 7-10 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 months.