Orange Rosemary Herbal Shortbread
Shortbread is delicious all on its own. But this beautiful classic shortbread baked with herbs and orange zest is a must this holiday season. The flavor is perfect with the herbs' earthy taste and sweet citrus notes. Sweet, slightly salty, a bit savory, buttery, crumbly, melt in your mouth irresistible. They are going to be your favorite cookie this year!
Why you'll love them:
- The dough requires minimal ingredients
- The dough is easy to work with and perfect for cutting into shapes for the holiday season
- They are elegant and perfect for gifting!
- You don't need to chill the dough, perfect for last minute bakers
If you love botanical cookies as much as we do, you may also enjoy Rose Petal Cardamom Shortbread or Lavender Shortbread Cookies
The ingredients:
- Butter
- Icing sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Corn starch
- Salt
- All purpose flour
- Orange peel zest
- Fresh herb leaves of choice
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean
How to make them:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 176 C )
- Start by making a vanilla citrus herb sugar, where all of your flavor will come from. Do this by mixing up your powdered and granulated sugar, vanilla bean, orange zest and herbs. Use a mortar and pestle or food processor to do this. If you don't have either, just finely chop the herbs and mix in with the sugar.
- Cream your butter with your sugar until fluffy and well incorporated.
- Sift in the flour and corn starch and gradually mix. You will need to get your hands dirty and really mix well to incorporate all of the butter into the flour. Work it with your hands until the dough becomes a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough out about 1 inch thick. Cover and chill for 30-45 minutes.
- Cut into desired shapes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- If desired, top them with some fresh candied herbs or candied flower petals.
Do these cookies freeze well?
Shortbread is my husband's favorite cookie so naturally, I like to bake it a few times during cookie season. I thought I would try and bake a new cookie recipe every week, and freeze a few, so that right before Christmas I could put together a beautiful and unique cookie box collection. I plan on keeping it simple this year with classic favorites. This shortbread recipe freezes well.
I think these cookies are even better after they sit for a few days. That really makes the flavor more pronounced. I store mine in an air tight cookie jar at room temperature. They freeze very well.
Herbal shortbread cookie recipe
Shortbread is delicious all on its own. But this beautiful classic shortbread baked with herbs and orange zest is a must this holiday season. The flavor is perfect with the herbs' earthy taste and sweet citrus notes. Sweet, slightly salty, a bit savory, buttery, crumbly, melt in your mouth irresistible. They are going to be your favorite cookie this year!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened (salted) (225 grams)
- ½ cup icing / powdered sugar (60 grams)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup corn starch (68 grams)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
- orange peel zest
- ⅓ cup fresh herb leaves of choice, I use rosemary, sage and thyme
- OPTIONAL: Pods from a vanilla bean
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 176 C.
Start by making a vanilla citrus herb sugar, where all of your flavor will come from. Do this by mixing up your powdered and granulated sugar, vanilla bean, orange zest and herbs. Use a mortar and pestle or food processor to do this. If you don't have either, just finely chop the herbs and mix in with the sugar.
Cream your butter with your sugar until fluffy and well incorporated.
Sift in the flour and corn starch and gradually mix. You will need to get your hands dirty and really mix well to incorporate all of the butter into the flour. Work it with your hands until the dough becomes a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough out about 1 inch thick.
Cover in a chill for 30 - 45 minutes.
Cut into desired shapes.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to chill.
Notes
I think these cookies are even better after they sit for a few days. That really makes the flavor more pronounced. I store mine in an air tight cookie jar at room temperature for up to three weeks. They freeze very well.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 237Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 36mgSodium 283mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 2g
Frequently asked questions
Should you sift flour when making shortbread?
Shortbread contains a high amount of butter, so if you find your shortbread too soft, make sure you've chilled your dough before baking. This will allow the butter to harden up a bit. It's also always a good idea to measure ingredients by weight to ensure you have the correct amount of flour to butter ratio.
Do I need to poke holes in my shortbread with a fork?
Forking shortbread is not necessary, but it prevents the butter from bubbling. This shortbread recipe does not require forking.
How should I store shortbread cookies?
Because shortbreads have a high fat content, they must be handled carefully to prevent crumbling. To store, arrange your cookies in a single layer, adding a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers.
How long will shortbread last?
Shortbread cookies keep longer than most other cookies, making them perfect for edible gifts or when you need to make something ahead. They even taste better the next day or two after you bake them! They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to three months.
How long will shortbread last?
Shortbread cookies keep longer than most other cookies, making them perfect for edible gifts or when you need to make something ahead. They even taste better the next day or two after you bake them! They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to three months.
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