Cream together the butter and granulated sugar for 3-4 minutes until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. I use my stand mixer on medium speed because hand-mixing takes forever, and I've honestly made that mistake before when I underestimated the time commitment.

Add both eggs one at a time, waiting for each one to fully incorporate before adding the next one. This prevents a curdled mixture, which I learned the hard way after making dense cookies that nobody wanted to eat.

Stir in the vanilla powder, lemon zest, and milk until just combined—don't overmix here because you'll develop gluten and lose that tender crumb that makes 4th of july shortbread cookies crowd so special.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two additions, mixing only until no flour streaks remain visible.

Fold in the toasted sesame seeds gently. They'll distribute unevenly on purpose—clusters of sesame throughout the dough create texture that keeps things interesting in every single bite.

Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart because they spread slightly during baking. I press each cookie down gently to about 1/4-inch thickness.

Bake at 350°F for 25-28 minutes until the edges turn light golden but the centers still look underbaked. This is the secret move most bakers miss—pulling them out early prevents hard, dried-out cookies that taste like cardboard.

While cookies cool, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest, honey, and a splash of milk to create the glaze. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies because warm cookies will soak it up unevenly.