Every once in a while, I’m struck by a sudden sweet tooth that no apple I’ve dug out of the crisper can satiate. Sweets that have not been claimed and fiercely guarded by someone else are hard to come by in my family, and my own chocolate stash diminishes as though the wrappers had turned carnivorous. Then, I’m stuck to piece together whatever I can find in the pantry into a passable desert. This is the reason I’ve turned to shortbreads. I can almost always find a little bit of sugar, some flour, a stick of butter, and some dried spice from the rack by the stove. If you’re stuck with a need for something sweet and a cookbook bulging with “rose extract,” “coconut oil,” “heavy cream,” and “sweetened condensed milk,” this recipe is for you.
Ingredients (see bottom for replacements and variations):
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
One stick (8 Tablespoons) of butter
Half a lemon for zest
Almost 2 Tablespoons dried rosemary
In a large bowl mix the sugar, flour, and rosemary. Next, cut the butter into small cubes. Wash and zest half a lemon, and add it with the butter. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender (not a mixer) if you have one, or use a butter knife to slice and mix the butter into the mixture. Using your hands also works well.
When you’re finished, the mixture should resemble crumbs, but make sure there are no lumps of butter left. Then empty the dough onto a cutting board and knead it. This will be a bit difficult at first, but keep at it until it holds together in a ball. (This takes me about seven minutes.)
Then pat the dough down onto a cookie sheet (no need to grease it) so that it forms a circle with about a seven inch diameter. Pinch around the edge of the circle to create a scalloped border. With your other hand place a finger in each scallop as you make it so that it forms a neater shape (see photo). Now cut the circle into 16 slices like you would a pizza. Make sure to leave the slices where they are and not break apart the circle.
Place the cookies in the oven at 325º F for 25-30 minutes, or until their bottoms become light golden-colored. Cut again along the lines you made before to separate the slices. Wait at least five minutes before removing the slices and serving.
The shortbreads go well with tea. I would recommend Earl Gray, or a white tea if you don’t want caffeine. As shortbreads are dry, some fruit can also be nice.
Variations:
If you prefer the rosemary not to be crispy, you can soak it for a few minutes beforehand; just make sure to dry it well. Other variations can be made by replacing the rosemary with other spices, adding only one tablespoon of strong spices such as ginger. The lemon zest may be replaced with orange zest, too. If you don’t eat dairy, you can replace the butter with margarine as long as it is at least 80% fat and in a hard stick-shape. White granulated sugar works instead of brown sugar.
