Cookie season is the absolute best season of all. This isn’t your most traditional Christmas cookie, but let me tell you! These Salted Rosemary & Lemon Shortbread Cookies are incredibly addicting and buttery and have the perfect amount of lemon.
I’m so excited to be back posting and creating recipes again! Currently preggo with baby #2 and it has been extremely hard. I’m so grateful and excited, but the morning sickness kicked my ass this time around!
For the first 6.5 months, I couldn’t even stomach water! Saltine crackers were my saving grace. I still feel sick at times but it has gotten more manageable. Nonetheless, I’m so happy to be creating recipes again and back to eating some of the foods I love.
Back to these Salted Rosemary & Lemon Shortbread Cookies. I honestly didn’t think I would enjoy them as much as I do before creating the recipe. It was my second test. The first shortbreads were chocolate chunk and hazelnut. Good, but not great. This combo was purely created out of all rosemary I accidentally ordered. And I’m so happy with how these came out. They have the perfect amount of herbaceous-lemony flavor without taking away that deliciousness of a buttery shortbread.
Components of a Salted Rosemary & Lemon Shortbread
- The obvious, BUTTER!
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar. I like to use a bit of brown sugar for flavor complexity and color.
- A bunch of lemon zest and fresh Rosemary.
- A yolk for some richness.
- Salt to bring out the flavors
- And lastly, flour.
This recipe is very easy, but there is some cooling time involved so the cookies have a chance to firm up before slicing. I like to roll the batter into a log. Doesn’t have to be perfect. I use the remaining egg white and brush it all over the log. This will act as a glue for the demerara sugar that it gets rolled in, giving it that extra sugary-crunch once baked.
Can I use another type of sugar for coating?
- Demerara sugar can sometimes be hard to find, but it’s key to creating that sugary-crunch. I always find it in the baking isle at Whole Foods Market. Or Amazon.
- You can also use turbinado, caster or granulated sugar.
Salted Rosemary & Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- Serrated knife
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter soft, not melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk reserve the white
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled off
- demerara sugar for rolling
- flaky salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugars, vanilla, rosemary and lemon zest. About 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy
- Add in your egg yolk and reserve the white for later. Mix just until combined.
- lastly, add in the flour and salt and mix util there are no dry pockets left.
- Dump the dough onto parchment paper or plastic wrap and shape it into a log about 2-2.5 inches thick. Doesn't have to be perfect. Wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours so it can firm up.
- Once the dough has firmed, preheat your oven to 350° and brush the whole log with remaining egg white and roll in demerara sugar, until the outside is completely coated. Using a serrated knife, slice the cookies ½ inch thick. Place onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and top with salt & lemon zest (optional). Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove and allow them to cool for at least 20-30 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- If you don’t have demerara sugar, you can use caster sugar or turbinado sugar. Even granulated sugar. It just wont be as crunchy.
- Your log doesn’t have to be perfect. I usually get between 14-16 cookies.
- If you’re not a fan of rosemary, thyme will also work well or just omit and enjoy a delicious lemony shortbread.
- You can also use a handheld mixer for this recipe.
