Rosemary Shortbread is a gorgeously traditional shortbread recipe
Why is it so traditional? With only 5 ingredients, this simple recipe shows that it has been around for a long time, requiring no leavening agents or eggs. Any farm household could make this simple shortbread, provided there was a warm oven and a bit of good butter available. Such a simple yet delicious treat!
Use European Style Butter for Rosemary Shortbread
If you can, look for Irish or European butter when making Rosemary Shortbread. Conventional butter made in the USA contains more water than Irish or European style butter. Rich with earthy butter flavor, you will be surprised by the difference it will make in all of your recipes, especially shortbread. Again, with so few ingredients, the quality of the butter is very noticeable. You might pay a little extra, but you will enjoy your shortbread a lot more!
I prefer to use fresh rosemary for this shortbread recipe as the herbaceous high notes are more noticeable. Dried rosemary is fine for flavor, but the texture can be a little woody if used in delicate cookies. Fresh is better, but if all you have is dried rosemary, simply chop the leaves as finely as possible. Do not use powdered, ground rosemary.
Rosemary Shortbread is delicious year-round!
Serve these buttery crisp biscuits alongside a hot cup of coffee or café au lait. They are quite versatile and can be served alongside fresh summer fruits or warm winter beverages. If you are like me and can’t stop eating Rosemary Shortbread once it is baked, simply bake only half of the dough. You can store the dough for a few weeks in the freezer. Thaw and roll out when you need it.
Once your shortbread is baked, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Crispy, light yet rich and buttery, this is a great go-to recipe whenever you need a sweet treat!
Rosemary Shortbread
- Prep Time: 65 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 Dozen Cookies 1x
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (230g)
½ cup brown sugar, packed (100g)
¼ tsp. sea salt (1g)
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (2g)
2 ½ cups flour (312g)
Instructions
Using an electric mixer, whip the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Using a spoon, stir in the salt, rosemary and the flour ¼ cup (30g) at a time until all is added. Gather the dough into a ball, place in a container or bowl and chill for at least 1 hour.
Heat your oven to 300°F (148°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll out the cookie dough on a lightly flour surface. The dough should be evenly rolled, 1/4” thick (.5cm). Prick the rolled dough evenly with a fork. Cut the dough into small bars, approximately 1”x 3” (2.5cm x 7.6cm). Place the bars on the parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown. Cool the cookies on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
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