Beat butter, add sugar, vanilla & lemon zest & beat on med high til light & fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Reduce mixer to low add flour & salt in 3 additions.
Mix til combined, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Roll out into a rectangle & chill for at least 30 minutes.
Cut out and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes total, rotating pans from front to back midway thru baking.
Cool completely before decorating with your favorite icing. I used the Royal Icing Recipe from Family Spice. I flavored mine with 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 3 drops of orange oil.
Notes
Yield will vary depending on the size of your cutters. If you are using a 2" round cutter, you can expect to get about 48 cookies. Nutritional information is based on that size cookie without the icing.