Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies-crisp, buttery cookies that are perfect for tea time or any time!
Last summer Josh built a raised herb garden in our backyard. We planted a variety of herbs and flowers. The beds were covered with snow for most of the winter. Our snow finally melted so I went outside to get some fresh air. I noticed that our rosemary was still alive and going strong. I guess it didn’t mind the snow! I snipped a few rosemary sprigs and went inside to tell Josh about our brave little plant.
I used the rosemary to make a batch of Lemon Rosemary Shortbread. I was in the mood to bake and more importantly in the mood to eat cookies:)
I love shortbread cookies because they are super easy to make and because of the obvious…LOTS of butter!
The cookies are crisp, buttery, and slightly sweet. The lemon and rosemary add a nice twist to the classic shortbread cookie. I love biting into a cookie and getting a hint of citrus with the savory rosemary! A match made in heaven!
The shortbread cookies may look plain and simple, but they are full of flavor!
I pretended I was living in the olden days and made a cup of hot tea to enjoy with my Lemon Rosemary Shortbread. I didn’t put on a frilly dress and white gloves, but I still felt special as I sipped my tea and nibbled on my perfect little cookies. It was the perfect afternoon snack.
Lemon Rosemary Shortbread cookies are good for tea time or any time! Make a batch today! These cookies are delightful and will brighten your day!
Lemon Rosemary Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt, lemon zest, and rosemary. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form the dough into a disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or until firm.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a ¼ inch thick square. Cut into squares, rounds, or shape of your choice using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place shortbread cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned around the edges. Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Note-Shortbread cookies with keep in an airtight container for about a week or they can be frozen.
Have you tried this recipe?
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Hi i made this and it’s amazing. I created my own blog post with a link to your page.
Please check it out here
https://carmelkarmablog.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/lemon-rosemary-shortbread/
Glad you liked the recipe!
I’ve made these, they’re delicious.
These are truly awesome! The rosemary seems to cut the sweetness of the cookie so it’s not too cloying. I made these for my cookie exchange, where I’m sure they’ll be a hit. They certainly were with my family!
Yay! Happy you liked the cookies!
I’ve made these for 4 years now. It is one of the best recipes I make for the holidays. People request these cookies all the time.
A few things I’ve learned over the years. Refrigerate the dough overnight. It makes life so much easier.
I personally roll these out thin. I make the cookies about the shape and thickness of a Kennedy half dollar.
Aside from that, I follow the recipe exactly and it is one of my favorites.
Thanks!
I made your recipe and it’s delicious! The gals at book club were all impressed. I’ll be impressing more guests with this one. Thank you kindly for sharing the recipe.
I make this recipe when I want to make something  outbox the ordinary and awesome. This was a huge hit in my Christmas cookie basketsÂ
Since 2014 – I have used y’all’s recipe. My grandsons, Alfred IV (Tótó ) & Vincito have enjoyed helping me bake your recipe for last 4 years. So simple and delicate, these cookies have their mom’s (my daughter’s) approval as an “after-school” or “summer- vacation” snack. Thank you. If you don’t mind … I’m going to try using basil next time, instead of the rosemary. I hope they turn out as delicious as y’all’s original shortbread recipe.
Just wondering…why not use all lemon extract instead of vanilla and lemon.
The lemon is so good with Rosemary!
Good recipe. Personally, I wanted more lemon and rosemary flavor so I will be adding more next time. I also sprinkled a little sea salt on top and that improved them for me also.
Made them today and they came out great! I forgot to chill them so they took 20 mins in the oven but tasted amazing!
It’s a decent base recipe, but needs way more zest, way more rosemary and a bit more juice.
How many cookies should this make
I made these years ago to give to my in-laws when I was invited to their home the very first time. They loved them and so did I, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember which recipe I had used! Very happy to find them again. I will be making them tonight for our household help who is celebrating the end of ramadan this weekend. Her Moroccan cuisine is so much more flavorful than ‘bland’ Dutch cuisine that I feel like I have to step it up with some flavor-bomb cookies like these 🙂 Thank you very much!
I just made these tonight. They have a great flavor! Mine came out really crumbly though and I’m wondering why. Still tasty though. Even the dougg is yummy
Great flavor combination for a shortbread cookie. Here are my modifications if anyone wants to try them.
zest and juice of 2 small lemons (much more than recipe)
2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar (this makes up for the extra lemon juice)
I rolled dough between a parchment paper and plastic wrap to avoid extra flour. This allowed me to roll as many times as needed without dough becoming tough. I used powdered sugar to dust the cookie cutter instead of flour too. They are a big hit with friends and family.
I’ve used this recipe for YEARS! I make edibles in a legal state and my clients love these cookies because they are delicious and perfectly mask the taste of cannaoil. The recipe is easily made vegan by subbing the butter out for coconut oil. I also like to add a simple glaze on top, made with just powdered sugar and lemon juice. It adds a little needed sweetness.
So glad you love the cookies! Thanks for sharing!
I made these today and they are so lovely and light. I increased the lemon and rosemary to 2 teaspoons each based on some of the comments and it turned out great. Love making shortbread!
Approximately how many cookies does this recipe make.
Mine made 60 x 1 1/2 in square cookies.
These are delicious! I went to a garden show a few years ago and someone was selling rosemary/lemon cookies. Had to try them and was hooked. I was craving them and searched online for a recipe and have to say these taste the same if not better. Such a good shortbread lemon flavor. Delicous. I will make them and freeze so when I want some I can just take them out and serve.