About 3 weeks ago, I purchased a small rosemary plant to have fresh rosemary for this recipe. Since I was growing my rosemary plant indoors, here are some tips so you can grow your own indoors.
I love growing plants indoors over the winter, so I have fresh herbs all year long. My back deck is where I plant my spring herbs which keep the deer, rabbits, and squirrels from eating them all. I ran into a herb last year called Rosemary Honey Lemonade; this gave me the idea in the first place for a cookie with those flavors.
Ingredients for Shortbread
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Honey
- Rosemary fresh
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
Honey - I found a great website that tells all about the different types of honey and the best way to use them. Almost any store purchased honey works well with baking so feel free to raid your pantry. Clover honey is the most common but you might want to see what are the different types and try something different with this cookie. Types of Honey
Rosemary - You will be shocked to find that there are a ton of cookie recipes that use rosemary as an ingredient. The key to adding rosemary is to finely chop the fresh rosemary. You do not want big chunks of rosemary when you bite into your cookies. I am going to invest in a herb grinder after doing some research. I will update this section to let you know what I decide on for my purchase.
Lemon zest and juice - Depending on the size of your lemon one lemon should be enough for the one tablespoon each of zest and juice.
Making Shortbread Cookies with Rosemary
Prepping
There is a little prep work for these cookies so let's get started! First zest and juice at least one lemon to get the amount you need. This depends on the lemon size. Next, dice into very small pieces the fresh rosemary.
Now, weigh or measure the powdered sugar and set it aside. In another bowl weigh or measure the dry ingredients flour, baking powder, and salt. I run a whisk through the flour mixture to blend.
Take the cardboard center of a paper towel and cut it in half lengthwise so you can cradle each log with each half. This helps keep the logs round and not flat on one side when in the fridge for chill time.
Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
Mixing the Shortbread
Add the butter to a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes so that the butter is creamy. Turn the mixer to a LOW SPEED and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once the sugar is incorporated with the butter turn the speed back to a medium setting and blend for a couple of minutes.
Now is the time I scrape down the side and add the lemon juice and zest, honey, and the diced rosemary and mix through. Turn the mixture to a low speed again and gradually add the flour mixture. You want the flour incorporated but don't overmix. A minute should be good.
Place the cookie dough onto a floured pastry mat.
I make one long roll then cut it in half or you can divide the dough in half and make 2 logs of equal length. Either way, you want 2 cookie logs of equal length and circumference.
Wrap each log in plastic wrap.
Put each log on the paper towel center cardboard. Then set them on a flat surface and put them in the fridge for an hour.
The firmer the logs are the easier they are to slice.
Unwrap the plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife score and slice one log. I usually get 15 cookies per log. I make each cookie about ¾" thick.
These cookies do not spread much at all so you can fit the whole 15 cookies from one log onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. You want the cookies to be golden around the bottom edge. Leave them on the cookie sheet pan for at least a minute after pulling the pan from the oven. Then, move to a cooling rack.
To get the most of the rosemary and lemon flavor, these cookies seem to meld together so they are even better the next day. The powdered sugar needs a little time to fully embrace the butter. The butter brings it all together into a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie you will want to make again and again.
Storage
Put completely cooled cookies into a container. I usually use a Gladware type container and leave them out on my counter with the lid just laying on the top of the container. Mine are almost always gone within the week and they taste just as good on the fifth day as the first.
Other Cookies to Enjoy
Rosemary with Lemon and Honey Shortbread Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
- 1 cup (227 g) room Temperature Butter unsalted
- ⅔ cup (80 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoon) Honey
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) finely chopped Rosemary fresh
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Zest and juice 1 lemon into separate bowls. Weigh or measure the powdered sugar in another small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, and salt, running a whisk through to blend. Dice the rosemary into tiny pieces. You want the rosemary to complement the lemon and honey, not overpower it. Small pieces achieve this.
- In a stand or hand-held mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it is creamy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Turn your mixer down to a low setting and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once incorporated, turn the speed back to medium and mix for about 2 minutes. I like to scrape down the side and then mix for about another 30 seconds. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and diced rosemary, mixing them through the cookie dough. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture till incorporated. I turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides. Then mix for another 30 seconds.
- Take the bowl off the stand and scrape the cookie dough onto a non-stick-floured pastry mat. The cookie dough will be a little tacky. Divide the cookie dough in half to make 2 rolls about 11 inches long and about 2 ½ inches in diameter. Take a plastic wrap piece that is longer than the length of the log; you want to be able to fold the ends under the log. Roll the log in the plastic wrap. Repeat with the second roll.
- A trick I learned from another baker is taking the center of a paper towel roll and cut the roll in half lengthwise. Next, place the plastic-wrapped log onto the paper towel half. The paper towel cardboard helps to keep the log shape and will give you rounder cookies. Place the two logs onto a sheet pan and place them in the refrigerator for about an hour. Chilling will make the slicing of the logs easier if the cookie dough is firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a cookie pan with parchment paper. Take the cookie log out of the refrigerator and unwrap the log. Placing the log onto a cutting board and slice each cookie about ¾" thick. I put all the slices from one roll onto one cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. You want the cookies to be a little golden around the bottom edges. Then, leave the cookies on the sheet pan for 1 minute before moving them to the cooling rack. You want them to set a little before moving them.
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