Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Every now and then I come across a recipe and think, “Hmmm, yes. I need to make these.” At that point the recipe goes into a “Future Recipe” folder. (Sometimes I carry this around with me in my school bag like a total food nerd. I am ok with this).
Typically I bake for a specific reason, like a holiday, or a special event; then there is the recipe I make because it’s right there in the file, calling out to me. I find solace in the mundane parts of chopping or mincing, mixing and folding (now for my Schitt’s Creek fans, say it with me, “David, you simply fold in the cheese.”)
Maybe it’s a new Banana Bread recipe (which I have recently found and have made several times and will add to the blog), or it’s citrus season and the beautiful array of oranges and clementines and everything in between says, “Make that recipe now.” Cranberries are fresh in the early fall, and that is when you utilize every cranberry recipe in the file. I am currently watching my rhubarb unfurl with the first few warm days of spring, and you know the cobbler and crumble recipes await.
So, when I came across a cookie that combined savory, tart, and sweet…I figured it was worthy of the file.
This cookie, with its simplicity and yet complex flavors, was the cookie I made this winter just because. I made very few Christmas cookie plates up this year- I made a few of our favorites and I made only single batches of each.
When the kids and I discussed what was going to be baked, we streamlined to the top few. Our holidays were pretty quiet here. Also, I kind of needed to eliminate many things this year just because…the last two years have been a little crazy.
When I tell you that this savory but sweet little buttery cookie fills the wild card cookie spot, I kid you not. I have fond memories of the big blue tin of butter cookies and my grandmother’s house and tea time. These are not those cookies.
This is a buttery shortbread that incorporates rosemary, lemon rind, butter, egg, salt, confectioner’s sugar. It is so simple to put together.
The tricky part, if any, is keeping the dough chilled throughout the baking process. You only take out what you are baking and the rest goes back into the refrigerator. If you are like me and like to multitask (ie, put a bunch of cookies on the sheets and pop them in the oven as you do other things), this part is “meh.” But worth it!
I chose to drizzle a little extra lemon glaze on it to make it decorative, but really, it wasn’t needed.
The recipe yields approximately two dozen cookies, depending on the size of your dough roll and how thickly you cut them. I wanted mine to have an almost square look, so I flattened the rolls slightly to accommodate. I would also recommend erring on the smaller side for these, as they pack a punch flavor wise.
If you are looking for a cookie where the samplers stop for a second and have a look of, “What is this exactly?” but in the best way- this may be for you. Again, it’s not a peanut blossom or a double chocolate peppermint. It’s different for sure.
No matter the reason or season for your baking, I encourage you to expand the horizon and try something different. You will be surprised!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, I thank you for coming to the table!
Love,
Chrissy
Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
1 Cup (2 Sticks) cold unsalted butter (I used salted and it didn’t impact the recipe) cut into small (1/2”) pieces
½ Cup granulated Sugar (plus 6–8 Tablespoon for coating)
2 Tablespoons chopped Fresh Rosemary
2–3 Tablespoons freshly grated Lemon Zest (I use a microplane for this)
1 Egg Yolk
¾ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Confectioner’s Sugar
2 Cups AP Flour
Instructions
1. Combine granulated sugar, lemon zest, rosemary, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5-6 times.
2. Add the egg yolk; pulse again several times.
3. Add the flour and confectioner’s sugar; pulse again to mix.
4. Remove the lid and scatter the cold butter pieces over the dry ingredients. Pule until the dough forms large clumps that start gathering together. Stop pulsing before the dough form a ball around the blade.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide it in half.
6. Gently squeeze and knead the dough several times to even out the consistency.
7. Dust a long piece of waxed paper with 3-4 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
8. (Using your palms) Roll one half of the dough onto the granulated sugar until it forms a 1 ¾”-2” log.
9. Repeat for the other half of the dough.
10. Slip dough logs into gallon food storage bags or wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator over night.
11. Preheat oven to 350* Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
12. Unwrap dough, and using a serated knife, cut the dough into rounds and place on baking sheet.
(a good tip is to keep unused dough refrigerated until ready to be baked- also don’t put cold dough on warm baking sheet or they will start to melt before they bake).
13. Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are golden and the surface is barely starting to brown. Leave on baking sheet for two more minutes then transfer to a rack to cool.
These do not need anything, but I added a quick lemon glaze, whisking lemon juice and extract into powdered sugar until I got the desired consistency. It just added the extra lemon kick I was looking for!
I can not express how proud you will be when you take this out of the oven. Like those cheerios, it will rename you as a baker, for sure.
