It wouldn't be Christmas without shortbread cookies, now would it?
After several sweet and decadent batches of Christmas cookies, I wanted to make something a little more mellow and not so sweet. Something that goes perfectly with a cup of tea. But I also wanted something non-traditional.
I always associate rosemary with savory flavors, and have never heard of rosemary in a cookie before. When I found this recipe, I was intrigued. Rosemary has a kind of piney flavor, which is perfect for Christmas. The lemon in these cookies balances out the rosemary flavor so the cookies don't end up being too piney and bitter.
On a completely separate side note, I just got a new camera...a Canon EOS 60D. Soooo exciting! Christmas has come early to me ;) I am still learning how to use it, but I think my photos have improved dramatically already. I love how crisp the photos are and how much depth I can achieve with my new baby.
I actually made these cookies last week, photographed them, edited the photos and everything, but then my new camera arrived and I just had to re-photograph them.
Wow. I am in love. With a camera.
Oh, and these cookies are pretty darn good, too!
Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies (makes around 40 cookies)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in lemon juice and peel, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, rosemary and salt. Add to wet ingredients in batches.
At this point you have a few different options. I chilled my dough overnight, brought it back to room temperature, rolled into 1 tbsp sized balls and pressed to 1/3 inch thickness with my cute star cookie press.
According to Taste of Home, you can also form two 12 inch long 'logs', wrap in plastic, chill the dough, and slice to 1/4 inch thickness before you bake them.
Whichever option you choose, bake your cookies at 350 F for 8-12 minutes, until bottoms are golden.
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