*Ashlyn of The Pedantic Foodie headlined a seasonal food series here on PMQ for two. She creates mouthwatering recipes on her site, and they’re always full of colour and tastes.
Check out her Pocket Peach Pies, Baked Pumpkin Grueyere Dip & her Mini Peppermint Bark Cheesecakes
“While cookies are often the last thing many of us are thinking of come January, I always find myself searching for a forgotten bag of sugar cookie reserves in the freezer, or reaching for that festive tin of shortbread in the pantry. When the mornings are bitter cold and the afternoons the dreariest shade of gray, nothing cheers my spirits and warms my frozen fingers like a hot cup of tea and a few, faintly-sweet cookies to accompany it.
I took my very favorite shortbread recipe and jazzed it up a bit to make these gloomy days a little brighter. Rosemary is so reminiscent of the fragrance of winter, and lime zest nods to the bountiful supply of winter citrus and adds a bit of brightness to these cookies, which are just as fragrant as they are flavorful.
Nothing brings new life to your favorite brew like one of these delicate snowflakes.
When seeking to enhance a simple dough such as this, look no further than the sugar bowl.
Because the sugar is very fine and will permeate the entire dough, it is the perfect carrier for any flavors we wish to incorporate.
Simply grab your food processor and throw a bit of rosemary and a hefty portion of lime zest in along with the sugar. Pulse until everything has been broken down into fine pieces, and then take in the fragrance. How refreshing is that?!?! But before you start making it into body scrub, let’s add it to the cookie dough.
After you have assembled your dough, it will need to chill for a bit. I actually chill my dough twice; once before it is rolled out, and once after. The second chilling period will help the shortbread to hold its shape when baked.
These cookies are bursting with bright and herbal flavors that are sure to bring new life to the yuckiest of winter days.
Happy baking!
Sincerely, Pedantic Foodie ”
Recipe for Rosemary Lime Shortbread Cookies
makes 16 cookies
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped from stem
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lime zest
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 12 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine granulated sugar, rosemary, and lime zest in the work bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the rosemary is in fine pieces. Place butter in the work bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until fluffy.
Slowly beat in prepared sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase speed to medium; beat until very smooth and airy.
Turn off the mixer and add in flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat the mixture until the dough comes together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop and shape into a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes; until firm.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Turn the chilled dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Use a cookie cutter to stamp out as many cookies as you can. Lay them out onto the lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
Gather up the scraps of dough and re-roll as before. Stamp out a second round of cookies, lay them out onto the second baking sheet and chill just as before. Discard the remaining scraps.
Bake each pan of cookies for 12-15 minutes; until the cookies are golden around the edges. Allow to cool completely while on the baking sheets.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!!
Rosemary Lime Shortbread Cookies
These cookies are bursting with bright and herbal flavors, taking a classic shortbread recipe to the next level.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lime zest
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 12 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine granulated sugar, rosemary, and lime zest in the bowl of your food processor.
- Pulse until the rosemary is in fine pieces.
- Place butter in the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium speed until fluffy.
- Slowly beat in sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and airy.
- Add in flour and salt and beat on low speed, until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean counter top and shape into a disc.
- Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes; until firm.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Turn the chilled dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch in thickness.
- Use a cookie cutter to stamp out as many cookies as you can.
- Lay them out onto the lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Gather up the scraps of dough and re-roll as before.
- Stamp out a second round of cookies, lay them out onto the second baking sheet and chill just as before.
- Discard the remaining scraps.
- Bake each pan of cookies for 12-15 minutes; until the cookies are golden around the edges.
- Let cool and place in an air tight container.
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