Rosemary Roll & Slice Shortbread

I have about 3 or 4 cookie recipes in my regular cookie rotation. Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chippers make it in about once or twice a year, Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies are made about 2 times during the zucchini months, the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the back of the Toll House bag when I feel like washing dishes and eating 3 cookies after every meal and these crispity, crunchity, herby, buttery babies.

Any other cookie recipes from here on out will be completely experimental. You've been forewarned. 

 

The day I made the dough for this recipe my kitchen was an utter disaster and the idea of photographing the chaos made me ill I was cooking a million other things, so I didn't get a chance to snap photos of the actual process of rolling the dough and smoothing it in parchment with a ruler - which I explain below, but would be easier to understand with a couple pictures to accompany the instructions. 

The day I had mixed this dough up, I froze the logs in the freezer for about 3 months, until I actually got around to baking the cookies. This is a great recipe to have in the freezer for unexpected company or if you just want to bake off a couple cookies at a time. Make sure to slice 'um thick. The original recipe says 1/4" thick, but I think shortbread should be about 1/2" thick. I like cookies a teensy bit doughy in the middle. But that's just me. 

I'll definitely post some more photos of the process soon, because my rosemary bush is begging for a clipping. 

Until then, you need to bake up these shortbread! MMMMmmmmm. 

Printable Recipe Here

Rosemary Roll & Slice Shortbread 

recipe adapted from Bride's Magazine

Yield: about 2 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

Place softened butter in the bowl of a stand-up mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add sifted flour, chopped rosemary, and salt; mix on low speed until incorporated. 

Divide dough in half; shape each piece into a log. Place each log on a 12" x 6" sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to 1 1/2" in diameter, pressing ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log and force out air. Transfer logs rolled in parchment to freezer. Freeze 1 hour (can be frozen up to 6 months). 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll logs in turbinado sugar, patting sugar into log; slice 1/2" thick with sharp knife. Bake until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.