Rosemary Shortbread
Updated Sept. 9, 2025
- Total Time
- 45 minutes, plus cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 2cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔cup granulated sugar
- 1tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted cold butter, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 to 2teaspoons rosemary, chestnut or other dark, full-flavored honey (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add butter, and honey if desired, and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.
- Step 2
Press dough into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.
Private Notes
Comments
Wow! Just made two batches of these. One with the recipe as written and a second with finely diced preserved lemon about (1 tablespoon) instead of rosemary. Gilded the rosemary version with a sprinkle of smoked Maldon sea salt flakes. Used a 15" x 5" oblong tart pan with removable sides resulting in 36 perfect slices per batch. Plan on keeping those that survive kitchen marauders in a tin to serve after dinner with soft blue cheese. Thank you for a winner.
These were absolutely perfect. I will be making these again and again. Make sure to cut while they're warm, but then take them out of the pan once they've cooled. Otherwise they'll crumble.
Made almost exactly per the ingredient list (used 2 tsp maple syrup instead of 1-2 tsp honey), and followed suggestion in the headnote to add vanilla extract. They were perfect! Buttery, a little salty, with wonderful texture and a perfectly balanced and clear rosemary flavor.
One crucial tweak needed: Grease the pan and/or use parchment paper. These stuck when using an ungreased pan as directed.
SO. FREAKING. GOOD. These are fast, easy, irresistible, and everyone's favorite bite at any gathering. I cut them in little cubes (about 3/4" x 3/4") and they're the first thing to disappear off a charcuterie board, cookie tray, or straight out of the travel container at any occasion... brunch, dinner, cocktails, shower, barbeque... Serve them next to some nice firm red seedless grapes (juicy and a little acidic to alternate with each buttery salty delicious bite) and everyone will love you. I sprinkle them with Maldon Salt, don't prick with a fork, and line the pan with parchment - but you do you!
This is a holiday staple in our house and the only cookie I make every year. I always make it as printed and it’s always perfect.
This is my husband's favorite! We eat it all year with dried rosemary, but it is best during the spring and summer when we use rosemary from the garden. I have added lemon peel for a citrusy flavor. We also serve it with Blackberry fool during blackberry season. So good!