This holiday weekend, I am feeling delighted with these babies. I’m calling these shortbread cookies, but I actually adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart’s Rosemary Butter Cookies recipe found here. I thought making a lemon cookie sounded lovely considering rosemary and lemon pair so well. I also went for a light glaze over a coarse sugar to up the decadence factor. Alas, in other ways, my cookie just isn’t quite as pretty as Martha’s. You would be hard pressed to create food as meticulously configured and presented as Martha’s regardless and my attempt at a perfectly round cookie is lazy at best. Sometimes looks aren’t everything, ya'll. These cookies are addictive, buttery, the perfect balance of sweet, tangy saltiness. I have eaten them for dessert and for breakfast. Lemon and rosemary just work together for breakfast. FYI: This cookie is a heavenly coffee pairing. Brew accordingly.
What’s more? These cookies are easy. Not quick necessarily--since you really have to freeze them up for a bit before popping them into the oven--but, easy. MInimal effort, really. Make these, love these. Eat 10 before noon like I did. Happy Memorial Day, friends.
Shortbread Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
Glaze Ingredients
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Juice of half a medium lemon
2 Cups of Confectioner’s Sugar
¼ cup Whole Milk
Finely chop rosemary and zest lemon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.
Soften butter and combine with granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Next, mix in whole egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt mixture gradually. Then add in lemon zest and rosemary. Continue mixing until well combined.
Halve dough; shape each half into a log. Wrap each log in parchment paper and freeze until firm: about 1 hour.
For the glaze: Combine confectioner’s sugar and whole milk with lemon zest, lemon juice and chopped rosemary. Add more sugar for a thicker glaze or add milk for a lighter consistency.
Preheat oven to 375. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until edges are golden, 15-18 minutes. Let cool on wire racks over a large pan. Drizzle each cookie with glaze and allow excess to drip through the wire rack.