Rosemary Shortbread Recipe (Heavy on the Rosemary)

Everyone's always asking me how they can use up all the herbs they're growing. This easy rosemary shortbread recipe takes my favorite herb, rosemary, and turns it into a tender, delicious, crumbly treat—one that strikes the perfect balance between savory and sweet.

Most rosemary shortbread recipes don't actually call for that much rosemary. But trust me, you're going to want a lot of rosemary in here. When I first made this years ago, I tripled the rosemary and haven't looked back. This recipe is super easy and involves about 5 minutes of prep work before it goes into the oven (you don't even have to refrigerate the dough).

Fresh rosemary makes a huge difference, so this is a great dessert to make in the fall or anytime your plants need a good cut back. Harvest about 10 to 12 sprigs from your rosemary plants and then head back inside to make yourself some shortbread!

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• about 12 sprigs of rosemary (includes stems for garnishing, if desired)
• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened*

*I always forget to leave my butter out, so I just stand it on one end in a glass bowl and microwave it for 10 seconds. Then I flip and cook another 10 seconds.

Supplies

• You can make this recipe in a food processor or blender. I use my Vitamix. If you don't have a blender or a food processor, you can totally do this by hand with a spatula. You just have to make sure your ingredients are well mixed.
• I also recommend a pair of herb scissors. Thanks to their layered blades, they make super short work of cutting up herbs. You can use regular scissors or a knife to chop your rosemary if you don't have herb scissors.
• You'll need a fork to poke holes in the dough.
• Use an 8-inch baking pan (or a 9-inch baking pan for thinner shortbread). I only have an 8x11-inch pan, so I shortened my baking time and kept an eye on the corners.)

Notes:

The New York Times recommends customizing their rosemary shortbread recipe by adding nuts, seeds, spices, citrus zest, vanilla, or even minced dried fruit. I keep my recipe basic to let the rosemary shine, but you've got a lot of freedom here to make this what you want!

Steps to Make Rosemary Shortbread

Step 1: Preheat Oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). I do not recommend greasing the baking pan because there's a lot of butter in the recipe.

Step 2: Prep Rosemary Leaves

Separate the leaves from the stems for 3 to 4 of the rosemary sprigs (set aside the rest for garnishing). The easiest way to strip rosemary is to grab the very tip of the stem and then slide two fingers downward. Chop the leaves into small pieces.

Step 3: Mix Dough

Add the flour, sugar, salt, and chopped rosemary to the food processor. Pulse the processor or mix on the lowest setting.

Cut the butter into tablespoon-size chunks and add to the food processor. Mix until fully incorporated. Your dough will be crumbly.

If you don't have a food processor, just knead the dough with your hands until it's smooth. I find myself taking matters into my own hands, as they say, and doing a little kneading at the end, even with my blender.

Step 4: Spread Dough in Pan

Use your hands to press the dough into the un-greased dish, making sure there's an even surface with no loose crumbs around the edges. Poke some holes with a fork to let your shortbread release steam while baking (this helps keep it nice and flat).

Step 5: Bake

Pop your shortbread in the oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. (If you're using a smaller pan, your shortbread will take longer to bake because it's thicker.) Check on your shortbread every couple of minutes near the end of the baking time. You want it to be a nice golden brown.

Step 6: Cool & Cut

Remove your baking pan and let it cool for a couple minutes. While your dish is still warm, use a knife to cut your shortbread into squares or rectangles (or wedges if you used a round pan). I use the fork marks I made as my guide when cutting.

Transfer pieces to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Garnish with a rosemary sprig or some finely chopped rosemary leaves. Maybe add a dash of sea salt or sugar. Serve with some tea made with herbs from your garden and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

If you want to make firmer cookies, roll your dough up in wax paper and refrigerate it until it's hard (about an hour). Then, slice it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds to bake (you could even use cookie cutters if you want your cookies to be fun shapes like Christmas trees or fall leaves). Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes.

I made these rosemary shortbread cookies when I threw my first party for my garden business, and y'all, I felt like the Barefoot Contessa!

Enjoy Your Rosemary Shortbread!

Rosemary shortbread treats are so cute and delicious—not too rich, not too sweet, just right. They're perfect to wrap up and give as little gifts for friends and family (or you can keep them all to yourself). If you share, everyone is going to be asking you for this recipe.

I mean, what's not to love? You've got all the major food groups here: butter, sugar, flour, and herbs. Enjoy!