Christmas Baking - Rosemary Shortbreads

Christmas means it's time for holiday baked goods to be made and shared.   I have my regulars that I make each year like my sister's Bourbon Balls., fudge, and iced sugar cookies in Christmas themed shapes.  Aunt Bill's Brown Candy is another Christmas tradition but I'm not making it this year because it's easier to make with an extra pair of hands; which I couldn't muster up.

In addition to the Bourbon Balls, I made fudge, chocolate peanut clusters, Orange Date Nut Cookies, Poinsettia Sugar Cookies and Rosemary Shortbread.

I want to share the Rosemary Shortbread with you.  This is a new cookie for me this year.   I love shortbread because it's easy to make and it's not over the top sweet and rich like so many other cookies.  You can bake it in fancy shapes cut from cookie cutters or just slice it into squares, rectangles or triangles.

The addition of fresh rosemary piqued my curiosity.  Rosemary always smells good when cooking with it but there is something different about it when mixed with sugar and butter.  I was revelling in the subtle aroma that filled the kitchen when Lovey walked through and asked if I was making sausage and biscuits.  Wha?????  My olfactory senses weren't picking up on that one at all.

The recipe called for 1/2 cup butter but the dough was clearly not coming together.  I added 2 more Tbsp. of softened butter to the dough and that seemed to do the trick.

The original recipe also called for 2 Tbsp. of minced fresh rosemary.  I felt it was way too much rosemary in relation to the amount of dough so I used 1 Tbsp. instead.   Didn't want to feel like I was eating grass in my cookies.

You can make them in any shape.  I used a small Christmas bell cookie cutter.  I think a snowflake cookie cutter would make a nice shape as well.

This is a cookie that need not be delegated to Christmas alone.  It would make a great tea biscuit any time of the year.

Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Christmas Cookies published by Oxmoor House
Yield 1 dozen

Ingredients:
1/2  cup + 2 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

Mise en place:

• allow butter to soften to room temperature and place in mixing bowl
• preheat oven to 325°F.
• measure out powdered sugar
• measure out flour
• mince rosemary

Method:
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating well.

Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Gently stir in rosemary.

Roll dough to 1/4 - inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.  Cut with a 2-inch cookie cutter, place cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at for 18 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Peppermint Candy Shortbread

 The recipe for these shortbread cookies is found in a book published by Oxmoor House called “Christmas Cookies”.

These are nice little cookies.  I’ve actually made a better tasting shortbread (now, if I can only remember where that recipe is…) but there is certainly nothing bad about this recipe.

I love shortbread because it's not overly sweet and rich.  Such a simple recipe for being so versatile.  The vanilla bark and peppermint add just the right amount of sweetness to the shortbread.

Ingredients are so simple; just butter, sugar and flour.

It’s easy to roll out.  For this particular recipe it instructed to roll out to a 6” circle.  I rolled out my dough into a rough circle and then used a 6” round corning ware dish to cut around so my circle would be nice and neat.  I’m anal that way.

Score with a knife and bake.

When a batch comes out of the oven, I like to go over the score lines again before it cools.

When transferring to a cooling rack to separate it into wedges, handle the shortbread very carefully.

My vanilla bark wasn't very deep for dipping the rounded ends in.  Instead of dipping the end of the cookies in the vanilla bark, I found it easier to use a little spreader.

Peppermint Candy Shortbread

Yield:  2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

4 (2 ounce) vanilla bark coating squares

2/3 cup crushed hard peppermint candy

Mise en Place:

·         set out butter to soften

·         measure out sugar and flour

·         crush peppermint candies with a rubber mallet in a baggie and pour into small bowl

·                 prepare your double boiler

Method:

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add flour, beating just until blended.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions.  Place 1 portion of dough on an ungreased baking sheet; roll into a 6-inch circle.  Score dough into 8 triangles.  Repeat procedure with remaining 2 portions of dough.

Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until barely golden.  Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Working very carefully, separate discs into wedges.  (Shortbread is very fragile.  Be gentle with it so tips remain intact.).