Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
If there is one thing I love it’s sweet and savory together! These lemon rosemary shortbread cookies are not only adorable but hey flavor is amazing. Salty and sweet with the great flavor of rosemary, a cookie even non sweet eaters enjoy.
I just love fresh flavors and the combination of fresh lemon juice and fresh rosemary gives these tender shortbread cookies a real punch of flavor.
You can cut these into andy shape you’d prefer. I made wreaths. trees would be a great option with the rosemary on top too.
For wreath-shaped cookies, you can use 2 sizes of round cookie cutters or a thin metal open end of a large piping tip to cut the center, a donut cutter is another option. You can use scalloped-edged cutters or smooth edges.
This dough rolls out easily and does not spread when baked.
Be sure to place the cookie sheets with cut-out cookie dough on them for 10 minutes to chill before baking.
This will firm up the butter and allow for a flaky cookie, and will prevent the cookies from spreading.
Dip the cookie cutter (or piping tips) into flour to prevent the cookie dough from sticking.
I have these scalloped cutters, and I also have this set which has more options as they are reversible to smooth round on the opposite side.
Place the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets.
These are pre-cut and easy to use, these are brown and these are white.
Thick baking sheets (like a bakery uses) I find bake with the best results.
These have a delicious glaze icing, but can be served plain, I added pieces of fresh rosemary, I think the combo of the sweet icing and rosemary makes them irresistible!
If you use sweet butter, add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt. Salt really enhances the flavor in these cookies with the lemon and rosemary. But if you ask me, I like salt in all my cookies. Like I mentioned, I love a salty-sweet combo.
If you do too, try these:
- Salty Sweet Pretzel Toffee
- Chocolate Dipped Salted Figs
- Oatmeal Maple Bacon Cookies
- Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Pretzels
- Maple Bacon Popcorn
The rosemary can be replaced with lavender for a really delicious flavor combination!
Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookie Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary additional pieces for decoration
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- Icing Ingredients
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°
- In the bowl of a mixer beat butter until it's light in color and fluffy.
- Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon, and rosemary, and mix completely.
- Add in the flour, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Mix on medium speed then on high until the cookie dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Roll cookie dough into a ball, so the dough is smooth.
- If the dough is moist or sticky flour your hands and tap the flour around the dough.
- Roll out the cookie dough in between parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap to avoid adding additional flour and drying out the cookies.
- With a rolling pin, roll out cookie dough to ¼” thick. I use two 1/4" wood dowels to make sure all the cookies are the same thickness.
- Cut cookies out with a cookie cutter, I used a 2” scalloped circle, with a large piping tip to cut the inner circle.
- Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, and allow the dough to be completely cold.
- Then remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and bake the cookies for 15 minutes. The cookies should be fairly pale, and lightly golden on the bottoms and edges.
- Do not over-bake or brown shortbread, it will become dry and crumbly.
- Allow cookies to cool completely.
- Once cookies have completely cooled, prepare icing, by mixing the powdered sugar with the warm water and lemon juice until the icing is smooth. (add more sugar f needed for desired consistency)
- Drizzle the icing over the cookies, or dip the tops of the cookies into a dish with icing and allow the excess to run off.
- Add pieces of rosemary for decoration before the icing sets up.
- Place cookies on a cooling rack until the icing dries completely.
These were nice. I doubled everything but the rosemary. I’m not very good at cut-out cookies, so I scooped them. I did need to add several spoonfuls of flour and powdered sugar to get the dough to come together, since it was sticky. The lemon is delicious, but I would probably not add the rosemary again. (Scooped cookies needed to bake 20 minutes for me. And I did glaze them–without the extra rosemary.) Thanks! Merry Christmas.
Great adjustments, Merry Christmas!
P.S. My sister loved the rosemary and had me send her the link! 🙂