Christmas

Salted Rosemary Shortbread

by:
June  8, 2021
5
45 Ratings
Salted Rosemary Shortbread
Photo by Rocky Luten. Food stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Prop stylist: Brooke Deonarine.
  • Prep time 1 hour 25 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Makes 32 cookies
Author Notes

I didn’t grow up in a very "decorated cookie" household. My mom hewed more to the biscotti/gingerbread/shortbread crunchy cookie end of the spectrum, and the year I tried to do festively decorated cookies in my own home, I ended up with royal icing in my hair and sprinkles in my floorboards for a week. I took on this fussy baking project in an attempt to impress at a school holiday party. It was my first time trying to border and flood reindeer-shaped gingerbread cookies with contrasting icing hues and dragée eyes, and also my last.

That said, my mom has been making rosemary shortbread cookies during the holidays for about as long as I can recall. I remember having the cookies in the apartment I grew up in on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and I remember having them after Thanksgiving dinner in the dining room of the apartment where my parents moved after I graduated from college. I know my mom has brought me a box of this shortbread when she's arrived at our annual Christmas Day open house, because she knows my older son loves them.

When I put all these several occasions together, it’s clear we’ve been eating these cookies for at least 25 years. Because they freeze so well, my mom often bakes them off in quadruple batches and sends her Christmas Eve guests home with their own stash to store.

I’ve always loved how savory they are, and in my version of her recipe, I added grapefruit zest, increased the salt in the dough, and topped them with a salt-and-sugar mixture that adds a little crunch. Shortbread is about the least fussy dough a person could have to tackle—for this one you don’t even have to roll out and cut, you just smoosh everything into a baking pan and bake. I still managed to get crumbs on the floor when I took them out of the pan for serving, but that’s maybe just a “me” thing. —lallimusic

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: Food52's Holiday Cookie Chronicles —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (43g) rice flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound, or 227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (112g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated grapefruit zest
  • Flaky sea salt, for topping
Directions
  1. Line a 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20cm) baking pan (preferably glass) with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Whisk together all-purpose flour, rice flour, rosemary, and salt; set aside.
  2. Combine the butter, 1/2 cup (100g) sugar, and grapefruit zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
  3. Add reserved flour mixture. Beat on low speed until crumbly, then increase speed to medium and beat until well combined, scraping down bowl as needed, about 2 minutes more. Transfer dough to prepared pan, then use an offset spatula to spread and press dough evenly into pan, smoothing top. Chill until firm, 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prick shortbread all over with a fork. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, then sprinkle flaky salt over. Bake until golden brown around edges and evenly golden on surface, 30 to 35 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and immediately cut shortbread (still in pan) into four 2”-wide strips lengthwise. Rotate pan 90° and make eight 1-inch (2.5cm)-wide cuts perpendicular to the first ones to make 32 rectangular cookies. Let sit 10 minutes, then run a thin spatula around edges so that cookies don’t adhere to pan as they cool. Let cool completely in pan.
  6. Using parchment, lift cookies out of pan and retrace cut marks if necessary to separate cookies.
  7. A note on making these ahead: Cookies can be baked, cut, and cooled 1 week in advance. Transfer (on parchment) to an airtight container and store at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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46 Reviews

ChellieD
ChellieD December 15, 2024
I'm clearly late to the party on this recipe but holy cow! Where has it been all my life. First made it a week ago ... subbed orange for grapefruit because it's what I had on hand and was a little short on my rosemary measurements. I'm not a sweet eater but ate the entire pan over the next several days. Already making it again (in the oven now) , this time with grapefruit and rosemary as directed. Only difference is that, per suggestion of others, I used food processor. Exquisite! This will be a staple. Next challenge will be experimenting with gluten free flour options so my gluten free/celiac husband can enjoy as well.
 
girlwithflowers
girlwithflowers December 4, 2024
One of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten. Freezes well, too! I fold the parchment paper over the top and use it to press the dough down evenly in the pan. It’s less messy than trying to use my fingers.
 
myramccormick
myramccormick December 10, 2023
I just made this shortbread and WOW. This is truly my ideal sweet treat (aside from the fact that I can't stop eating it.) Buttery, crisp, salty, sufficiently sweet, and bright with the hint of grapefruit zest! The recipe is simply and easy (though I did sustain a zesting injury. Be careful out there with those box graters!). The only kinda pain is pressing the dough into the pan. I found using my hands easier than a spatula. I am stoked to have come upon this recipe and am currently making multiple batches to include in cookies gifts this year. Thanks for the great recipe!
 
Paula A.
Paula A. October 20, 2023
This recipe is one of my favorites for holiday baking. Only problem is they never made it to the holiday platter! They became my personal stash for a while:)
 
sreagan82
sreagan82 December 23, 2022
I love these so much that I am making several batches for my wedding reception. Everyone I have made them for has simply said WOW! I am not crazy enough to cook all the food for my reception, but since I do love to bake and cook, I wanted to have some little representation of me in the food for our big day. A big thank you to the recipe author… I love the story of you eating these throughout your childhood and into adulthood. Good recipes like these are a family legacy.
 
Taylor S.
Taylor S. December 20, 2022
I made this as part of my holiday cookie and candy assortment (11 kinds). These are absolutely STUNNING shortbread (taste-wise). I ended up making another batch the next day because I ate too many of the cookies myself. The rice flour gives it such a dreamy, tender, and perfectly crumbly mouthfeel. I added maybe twice the amount of zest? I imagine this would be good with a myriad of other flavors too... lemon or lime zest, oregano, thyme, basil, etc.
 
Marisav
Marisav December 19, 2022
I’m guessing I was supposed to press really hard before putting them in the fridge? I pressed them to create a uniform thickness and smooth them but perhaps I didn’t put enough muscle in as they are not holding together. You may want to mention the importance of pressing hard if that is likely the cause of my issue. I will say though that it could be that I substituted with GF flour (bob’s red mill)?
 
Marisav
Marisav December 20, 2022
Update: the shortbread is holding together better after cooling them down and refrigerating them.
 
Kathy
Kathy December 20, 2023
How was it with GF flour?
 
REDJIMSGIRL
REDJIMSGIRL December 6, 2022
I’ve made this over a dozen time and given it for gifts
It is DELICIOUS and so easy and I love the crispness
Hardest part it getting it packaged before I eat it all
 
REDJIMSGIRL
REDJIMSGIRL December 19, 2022
Wondering if anyone has added more flour/rice flour to make the cut out capable? If so, how much?
 
SophieL
SophieL September 27, 2022
Awesome cookies! My first time using rice flour, and I love the sandy texture, yet still very tender. I doubled the grapefruit zest, as a reviewer suggested. And I used a new product from Burlap & Barrel called Balsam Fir Salt for the flaky salt topping; this really complemented the rosemary. So good, so different. Definitely a keeper.
 
Leil
Leil January 19, 2022
These were delicious. Maybe a bit much rosemary for me. However very easy to make. I will try again, maybe with different flavorings.
 
Sabine G.
Sabine G. December 18, 2021
These were incredible. Easy and so flavorful. After reading the reviews- I decided to double the batch and I’m glad I did! They would have went much too quickly!
 
EmilyC
EmilyC December 17, 2021
These are very, very good. The texture is delightful. Made them as gifts but now I need to make another batch for myself! : )
 
Melissa B.
Melissa B. December 17, 2021
These are divine.
Took like two minutes to mix in my food processor.
So good. Gonna need to make another batch as I can’t stop eating these.
 
Sophia
Sophia January 16, 2021
This isn’t shortbread, it’s crack. Both family and friends are hooked. Only suggestion is that you double the recipe.
 
Robin A.
Robin A. January 16, 2021
Agreed. It's crack.
 
Donna L.
Donna L. December 27, 2020
I only have "sweet" rice flour in my pantry so I'm going to try to make this recipe with the sweet rice flour and see if it makes a huge difference in texture and how the cookie binds together. If anyone has tried it with sweet rice flour instead of plain rice flour, please let me know how it turns out.
 
Donna L.
Donna L. December 27, 2020
In addition, I'm also going to mixing the sweet rice flour with GF baking flour so this is going to be an experiment.
 
Jplain
Jplain December 13, 2022
How did they turn out using the sweet rice flour?
 
Robin A.
Robin A. December 26, 2020
I made a double batch and froze it, pulled it out two weeks later and baked it. They came out beautifully and were perfect to put in the treat boxes I mailed my friends for christmas. These are massively addictive and rich. Cut them into very small squares or you will eat them all.
 
Tessi
Tessi February 20, 2021
While I have not yet made this shortbread, I can state clearly that cutting them into smaller pieces would NOT deter me! :-)
 
Katienotnora
Katienotnora December 21, 2020
So Good! Made my own rice flour because I couldn't find any at the market. Nice crunch, so buttery and savory. I think I will double the grapefruit next time as it is barely noticeable. I used high quality butter. Definitely a keeper.
 
PF
PF January 3, 2020
Such a great recipe! I've been making something similar for about twenty years, inspired by a cookie I had at the coffee bar Abraco (on East Seventh Street in the East Village.) A shortbread with veins of orange zest and chopped cured black olives and thyme, it's the perfect sweet/savory mate for a cocktail or a glass of something bubbly.

Basically the same as Ms Music's recipe, but save the olives for last. After the dough is in the pan, press the chopped olives deep into the dough so they don't stain the pastry black. Unlike her, I use a straight-sided Ateco 8x8 pan, lined in both directions with parchment. This isn't a pitch for Ateco, but this pan is my go-to for brownies, blondies or anything I want in a square format.
 
Happygoin
Happygoin December 19, 2020
I have a pan of the rosemary and grapefruit shortbread in the oven as I type. The next batch will be with black olives and (I think) orange zest. Great suggestion, thanks and happy holidays!
 
SDL
SDL December 27, 2019
Made these with all ap and just a bit too much rosemary - I had some execution errors likely moving too quickly with holiday prep. Result was “ interesting” flavor profile but I can tell this will be a winner once I slow down and do it properly. Biggest takeaway? It reminded me instantly of a similar orange-zest drop cookie my grandmother made. So now I’m on the hunt for a similar recipe and have 2 cookie recipes to add to my routine!
 
Steve D.
Steve D. December 22, 2019
Added a little more salt and half again the zest (used orange, but I can’t imagine it matters). Literally the best cookies I’ve ever had. Thank you.