Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

I have had a favorite cookie recipe since I was a child, but yesterday me and my girls made these cookies and that once favorite cookie has been replaced by these cookies. My best tip is DO NOT OVERBAKE. Don't wait for the edges to get too brown. We liked them on the much paler side. So beautiful, unique, and if you love rosemary and shortbread, so perfect!!!! I made another kind of cookie after this and though I am sure the cookie was absolutely fab it greatly paled in comparison to these. It is refreshing to try something different and these are a pleaser! Do not change the recipe at all because it is perfect. Although I must confess, over time, I would like to expirement with a few other herbs. A good cookie if you want to impress or have friends for a tea party. I felt like the workds best cookie maker when I made these! Approved by kids dads grandpas and moms and soon to be grandmas I am sure. Something I notice with these that was unlike cookies I have had in the past, I could taste each seperate taste individually-butter, salt, rosemary and a some sugar sweetness, and then I could taste them together at the same time. That, to me, was kind of interesting. Also they are very rich! I can eat cookies, believe me, but I can only eat 1 or 2 of these at a time, and trust me, that's fine. Like good dark chocolate, just a little is enough to satisfy because the quality is so good. I got 48 round cookie from this batch.

The only thing I changed about this recipe was the prep before it went into the oven. I hand rolled small balls of dough (about 1 T each) and slightly flattened them into 1/4 inch thick discs on the baking sheets, then popped them in the fridge for about 30 minutes. With a butter-heavy dough like this, I knew that the dough would have to be very chilled and firm before being cooked so they would maintain their shape and not flatten out - good shortbread is thick and flaky! Everyone LOVED these cookies and I will be making them again.

Note: This recipe was originally published with an incorrect amount for the butter. We have corrected the amount to 1 1/2 cups. This will solve the problem mentioned in the previous review. We apologize for the error! - The Staff

I've had a small rosemary tree in my kitchen as a Christmas decoration and I happened upon this recipe. The rest is history. This cookie will now become a prized addition to my repertoire. It's lovely. I added some lemon rind to half the batch so I could try both rosemary shortbread and lemon rosemary shortbread. Both were good, but I like the lemon the best. Thanks for a great recipe!

I really, really like these cookies! I rolled them into a log shape and placed them in plastic wrap before refrigerating them. Once chilled I sliced them, sprinkled sugar on them and baked them. They are Fabulous!!! This is a keeper!

Wonderful - I rolled the dough into a round 'loaf' and chilled it, then cut thin discs rather than roll it out and cut rectangles. Worked great. It's such an unusual and tasty cookie - very sophisticated, if you ask me!

Delicious crispy, buttery sweetness with a hint of rosemary. These are a delicious and different cookie. I found the dough rolled better when it wasn't quite as cold. Flour the surface you're rolling them on and flour the rolling pin. Turn the dough over and re-flour several times when you're beginning to roll them out, and you shouldn't have any problem. I used a cookie cutter, but they would be even faster to make if you just cut them into rectangles as directed. Each year I like to try new cookie recipes for Christmas as well as the old standbys, and this will be one of my new ones this year, topped with green tinted sugar instead of white.

You can also make these using lavender. Oddly enough, they taste somewhat like rosemary. YUM

I had to cook mine longer than 8 mins to get them done, and managed to over cook them slightly. Nevertheless they tasted great! I will be making these again and experimenting with the timing.

this was an awesome recipe, and a great way to use up some of the rosemary i have all over my house :) the dough was very sticky, so i did refrigerate it before i baked it. that firmed it up nicely. i'd totally recommend refrigerating it into a log of some kind, be it round or rectangular, so that when it firms up, its easier to slice and you have consistent shapes. but definitely yummy in my tummy! UPDATE: i was really short on time today, so i didnt have time to refrig it, and was making a double batch. what i did instead: put it in my cookie press, didn't put the 'press' part in, double clicked and sliced. that got me perfect circles! and the rest? put it in the entire press, clicked it all out, and formed perfect logs i then froze. next time will be easy to slice and bake! hope that helps!

Yum! I took a chance with these because I wasn't sure about herb cookies, but I was not disappointed at all. Make sure to use fresh Rosemary...so so good!

Is something missing? I ended up with NOT a creamy mixture. Too much flour, or not enough of something else. Too powdery to roll out.

Almost twenty years ago, I bought a rosemary shortbread cookie at a bakery in Santa Monica. I never forgot that wonderful cookie, and I never found it again. Even that bakery stopped selling them, which was disappointing. I decided to hunt down a recipe. I am so glad I found this! I made a batch this morning and they are even better than the one I tasted all those years ago. Try this recipe. You will not be disappointed! It is going to be my new holiday gift cookie.

I wasn't sure what I expected these to taste like but they were awesome. I put them on my cookie trays for Christmas and they were very well received. I will definitely be making these again!

These are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly with the one exception of rolling the dough into a log before I chilled it, per other reviews. Then when it came time to bake, it was very easy to just slice. I found it easier to use my hands to blend the flour, salt, rosemary mixture into the sugar, egg mixture. The sugar on top helps add the right amount of sweet. Even though these are perfect as is, next time I will add lemon zest as some have suggested.

There are always a big hit at gatherings. One suggestion to those who like to be adventurous: instead of rosemary use a bit if your favorite herbal tea leaves for endless variety of pre-blended herb mixes

I had lost my recipe for Basil shortbread...this works perfectly plus try adding just a touch of lemon zest only about 1 tsp. RAVE compliments....people do like something different some times...I served these at a ladies tea party.

I followed the recipe as it is posted, with the exception of the rosemary (I excluded that ingredient). Oh, I also add a small amount of Almond Extract :) I found the batter/dough easy to work with whether you are using a cookie cutter or just taking a scoop and flattening them out. This is a great recipe, it easy to make, and you'll get great results. Thank you for sharing.

Hands down one of my favorite cookies to make. Because I'm lazy, I roll the dough into a log and freeze it. That way I can keep it handy quick cookies by slicing them. My one comment - USE A REALLY GOOD COOKIE SHEET. The thin aluminum sheets can cause the bottoms to get too brown, even with parchment paper.

These cookies are AMAZING! I had to be very careful not to eat them all in one sitting. They are sweet, but not too sweet. If you love rosemary, (which I do), you must try these cookies. I've been trying many recipes with rosemary latley; bread, potatoes and the like. They are all very good, but the cookies are my favorite so far. They are a very grown-up cookie, so most kids probably won't like them. But as for me, I now have a new favorite cookie, and I don't think I will find one that tops this!

So very wonderful - Thank YOu for sharing this recipe!

I was torn between this recipe and another recipe for rosemary cookies on this site. I decreased the servings down to 12 for each recipe, made mini batches of both in the toaster oven, and put the recipes to the test with my family. This recipe took all the votes! I noticed it lives up to its name- this is very much a shortbread recipe while the other was more of a cookie texture. This recipe is also much "fluffier" and has a smooth taste. I will experiment next time with making the dough just a little sweeter so I don't have to top them with sugar as a separate step. Thanks Abigail!

Excellent. I kept the dough in the fridge for 2 hours and made heaping tsp balls and then flattened them. Very delicious, I am foregoing all the other cookie recipes I had lined up and am baking dozens of these!

Excellent, will definitely make again. I added lemon zest, and I think that without the lemon it would have lacked character. But together it was a zingy, crumbly delight!

I have never put a review on allrecipes until I made these cookies! I had an overabundance of fresh rosemary from my garden and was desperate to use it up. I figured that if these cookies weren't good (Ok, so I had an opinion before I made them), I would throw them away. THESE ARE AWESOME!!! The rosemary isn't overpowering like I thought they would be. Very surprising and delicious. Btw, don't alter the recipe because it is PERFECT.

This is a review update to my original review. With a HUGE nod to the recipe author, our team at BethZillion.com has become famous for this perfect little cookie. They are just the right sweetness, crunch and buttery goodness along with the delicious surprise of rosemary. These are truly exceptional. For best flavor, chop rosemary very fine. Let dough rest overnight to develop full flavor. Due to demand, we chill our dough into logs and sliced thinly. Toasted pinenuts are a terrific addition for more pizzaz!

Very nice, delicately flavored cookies. The only thing I did differently was to use a small cookie cutter on them, just to make them a little more festive. Thanks :)

Really good. Can't go wrong with shortbread. I did make a few adjustments: used 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary (all I had on-hand), the zest of 1 lemon, and subbed 3/4 of the AP flour with whole wheat. Delish. My manager loved it! Thanks for the recipe.

I just made these, exactly as written, and they are AWESOME! I can imahing they would be stellar on a cheese plate, with a nice red wine.

These cookies are super tasty! They are a nice change from your ordinary cookie. Only thing I would change is the amount of sugar that goes in them. They were a little too sweet but still delicious!

These are ok. No one but myself liked them. I will not be making them again simply because I do not need to be eating a whole batch of cookies on my own. The dough was crumbly and hard to handle for myself. I thought I had followed the recipe to a T but potentially something was wrong.

very good. my family loved the herb taste.

I'd never made shortbread before, and I thought these cookies were very tasty. The dough is definitely easier to roll if it warms up a bit after chilling in the fridge. I experimented with using a small cookie cutter (1 by 1.5 inches) and cutting the dough into larger shapes, and the small cookies came out better -- they browned more evenly. I also iced the cookies with a simple lemon glaze, but next time I'll leave them plain, or just add fresh lemon zest to the dough. As the recipe writer says, the cookies taste even better after a couple of days.

Oh my goodness, so good! I had some rosemary to use up and did a double take when I found this recipe. My dough was really crumbly, so I rolled it out with a rolling pin and cut it into rectangles with a knife. The cookies were buttery and light and the rosemary added a delicious twist. I will definitely make these again.

I made these cookies for my daughter's wedding dessert bar and everyone loved them! I have made them several times since then and they always turn out well. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

I made these over Christmas, and they were great. A lot of people really liked them. I want to try making them with different herbs. Maybe lavender or lemon balm. The flavor really did improve after a few days. I followed the recipe, except I rolled it into a log, refrigerated if for a few hours, and cut the log into 1/4 inch slices. This is much easier than taking out the rolling pin.

The taste was good and the rosemary touch is fantastic! only, I had to add some chilly water or I would not have been able to turn the dry and crumbly mixture into cookies...

This is such an interesting and delicious tasting shortbread. As others have stated, I really wasn't sure what to expect taste-wise but I love rosemary so thought I would give it a shot. This recipe turns out such a beautiful cookie and they are rich and light all at once. Definitely a good tea time treat!

These cookies are fabulous! So easy, melt in your mouth delicious!

Yum! These are fantastic. I forgot to sprinkle sugar on top before baking. They were still good, but I think they would've been better with the hint of extra sweetness. All the different cookies came out different thicknesses (because I was too lazy to be precise), and the ones that were 1/4" thick as stated in the recipe came out overdone. I think somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2" would be about right.

A lovely delicate aromatic cookie! The only change I made was instead of the decorative sugar I gave each cookie a half dip in white chocolate. Delish!

Love love this recipe....very yummy. I'm thinking of making with lavendar instead of rosemary one of these days.

I ran out of white flour, so I had to sub about 1/2 white whole wheat, but I didn't actually think it adversely affected the flavor, just found that they needed to bake 13 min to get lightly browned. I found the cookies a little too subtle. I did a trial batch where I sprinkled small amts of coarse salt on top and that just gave the cookies an extra POP. not too salty either. I def will repeat these cookies with all white flour but every batch will have coarse salt on top. try a few, you'll be glad.

Very nice! Followed the recipe to a t. Will be making again.

I've made this twice now, and it's a favorite! I made it once with some lemon glaze on top, and once plain just as the recipe describes. Both are delicious - without the glaze they are perfect with tea or coffee because of the texture. I LOVE these cookies! :) They always impress because they are so unusual for most people.

Very tasty, easy to make, and people love them! Impressive cookie, great for bringing to a party. Leftover dough freezes well for future baking. Can't wait to try other users suggestions of using loose leaf tea!

These are delicious and very popular. I followed the recipe exactly, but like many, opted to roll the dough into logs and wrap them in saran wrap before chilling. Then I sliced them to about 1/4 inch thickness and left off the decorative sugar because I like the texture of shortbread on its own. They were ready in 11 minutes in my oven. You should take them out when they're golden brown on the bottom and white but dry on top. The texture of these cookies is awesome; they're slightly soft as opposed to crunchy, which is exactly what I was looking for. I've tried them with lavender and lemon also, but I prefer the rosemary personally. To anyone having trouble mixing the dough, just keep at it, and don't be afraid to mush it up with your hands if the spoon isn't doing the trick. Eventually it will reach a good soft dough consistency. You should also start with butter that's softened to room temperature. I tried to rush it with cool butter once and it was very hard to mix.

Yum! These are a great change from a typical shortbread, as the rosemary adds a nice flavor, and would be fabulous for a tea party. Will definitely make these again!

Interesting recipe, the flavor grows on you as time goes on. Had to use dried rosemary (2 tsps), will have to try fresh next time. Pretty easy to make though!

A delicious twist to the shortbread cookie. I made these for a dinner party and everyone thought I had bought them from a fancy bakery. There was one person in the party who didn't absolutely love them, but then, he doesn't particularly care for shortbread.

These easy cookies are delicious! I used only half the dough and froze a log for later!

The rosemary flavor in these cookies was wonderful, but I added more than the recommended amount of butter and they were still very dry. If I try to make these again, I will probably add a little extra oil so they don't get quite so dry again.

Holy Goodness! These are off the charts! I am so happy I found this recipe. Followed recipe exact - but, forgot the salt. No matter, as these are divine. I liked the suggestion from artychoke who rolled the dough into a log, chilled and sliced. Mine needed longer than an hour to be really chilled and firm. Definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!

This recipe was absolutely delicious. I cut the butter down to only 1 c. -which made the dough very crumbly, but the cookies turned out fantastic. My friends and I literally devoured them in one sitting. I agree that the concept of rosemary in a cookie sounds slightly odd, but it adds such a great delicate flavor. I also added two teaspoons of lemon juice, which gave the cookies a refreshing kick. I will be making this several times again!

Not sure what to think of these. Very strong flavor. I think 1 tbls of rosemary would've been sufficient. The cookie itself has great shortbread flavor. Everyone who tried - turned away them came back a few minutes later wanting more! Same with myself! Did not like at all with the first try but kinda grows on you. Very interesting. Also rolled the dough in balls then rolled in sugar for a sweeter taste.

We love this recipe with tea in the afternoon or evening. Goes particularly with "Paris" teas from Harney and Sons. Not a good cookie if you are serving coffee, however.

These were easy and yummy. The buttery flavor is fabulous. The rosemary is such an incredibly perfect addition. Some of my tasters thought it was just too strange, but there were a few of us who were die-hard lovers of these cookies.

These were great although I did add lemon zest.

These are wonderful cookies that are a bit different. I rolled my dough in logs (like another reviewer had suggested) and was thrilled with the results.

I make a lot of shortbread but I usually don't eat much of it. However that was not the case with this recipe. Wonderful flavor. Delightful with a cup of tea.

These cookies are simply delicious, I made them to use up some fresh rosemary I had, and I'm glad I did. I added lemon juice as suggested by previous reviewers and I used the roll into a ball and press flat method, and let them bake for just 7 minutes. They turned out great, and I will definitely make these again. I also put up a photo of my finished cookies... enjoy!

These are delicious! I had to add 2-3 extra tbsps butter, though, to get to the right consistency. Otherwise the dough was too crumbly.

This recipe was a huge hit at a yearly get together this year! It will become a part of the tradition. So yummy and easy. We ate them with a bottle of red wine.

Very nice. I used pumpkin cookie cutters to add a festive touch. Unusual, but quite tasty- thanks for the recipe.

These cookies are curiously addictive, and the rosemary flavor improves with time. I added a little almond extract to deepen the flavors, and the family loved them. They keep very well, too.

Awesome! Nothing more to say!

Absolutely delicious! A shortbread is my favorite type of cookie; add rosemary and I'm in heaven! The cookies have a perfect balance of flavors with a few simple ingredients; and they smell divine! I found the dough extremely easy to work with as long as you chill it for an hour as instructed before trying to roll it out. For those who had issues with the dough, maybe the following will help. DO use a good quality UNsalted butter, as called for in the recipe, for two reasons: 1) salted butter has a higher water content (and thus lower fat content) than unsalted which can defininitely affect baked goods, especially cookies and 2) unsalted butter allows for more adjustment to the salt in a recipe as different brands of salted butters can have different (and unknown) amounts of salt. I feel like the amount of salt in this recipe, coupled with unsalted butter is perfect; but that's a very subjective opinion - others may prefer less salt flavor. When measuring flour it's important to spoon it into the measuring cup lightly and level it; otherwise you can wind up with too much flour since flour "settles" a great deal. When I creamed the butter and sugar together I did so for 6 minutes at medium speed on a KitchenAid mixer in order to get it to the right consistency, then slowly added the flour (already mixed with salt and rosemary) in several small amounts on "stir" just until mixed. Hope this might help anyone who had trouble with the dough. These cookies are too good to miss!

I loved it! I would recommend it.

I ate waaaaaaay too many of these. Absolutely magnificent. After tasting the first batch, I put a little piece of candied ginger on each one. The little bit of chewiness in the middle of the buttery shortbread added interest, and the ginger combined beautifully with the rosemary.

I tried this recipe for the first time and glad I ventured out of my chocolate cookie rut. Its has a really great rich flavor and everyone loved them. I followed the recipe exactly but the dough was incredibly hard to work with. It was so crumbly that I almost gave up but I'm glad I didn't. Next time I will try forming the dough into a log and cutting it into cookies after it's been refrigerated. I thought using a cookie cutter sounded more fun but these need to be small since they are so rich. Do yourself a favor and make these soon!

I love this recipe and I've made it several times. Everyone raves about them! I do add 1 little thing though-- a lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar). They are divine! I made the mistake once of letting the dough get un-chilled before putting in the oven. Boy, that was heartbreaking. It was a mess. I've learned my lesson and I roll the dough up in a long cylinder shape. Chill 1 hour. Then I cut it in to slices and then put it back into the fridge for another 15 mins. Then they go directly into the oven.

These were fantabulous and turned out great! I had a friend give me a gift. Previously she’d mentioned she saw a recipe somewhere and these sounded good. I scoured the web and found a few recipes before settling on this one. These are crisp on the outside, buttery melt in your mouth savory goodness! I made sure to chill the dough for a while.i only rolled into a log and sliced. Beautiful specks of rosemary. I usually don’t like savory but these were AmazeBalls! They would be awesome with a lemon glaze or lemon peel added. These wear fantabulous!

I made the recipe as written and it was delicious. I will positively make it over and over again. ??

I really enjoy these cookies, but the first time I made them, the dough barely held together, it was so crumbly. They still turned out delicious but it was a headache to get the dough to stick. The next time I made them I added a little less flour (like a tablespoonish) I added a tablespoon of water and the dough came together MUCH easier. It was still crumbly and stuck a bit more than you'd like to the rolling pin but nothing a bit of flour couldn't fix! Super good. I've used this recipie as a base now for Earl Grey Tea cookies and they came together just as well (subbed a tablespoon of vanilla instead of water in that case!).

I made these with my own rosemary. Delish with a glass of chardonnay!

Not sure what I did wrong but they just fall apart. Basically wasted all those ingredients. Not happy at all.

Delicious. I made these according to the recipe, but rolled into a log and sliced after cooling. Mine took about 10 minutes to cook. I also have a cookie mold that resembles the size of a brownie pan. I smooshed in about half of the batch and cooked it at a lower temperature - 300 degrees for about 30 minutes (checking after 25).

Amazing flavor. Love, love, love these cookies.

Made some red white and blue short bread cookies. I used Sage instead of Rosemary, and 1/3 cup brown sugar with 1/3 cup white sugar to add some richness. They turned out excellent firework cookies.

These were outstanding! The rosemary gave them such a delicate flavour. This recipe is a keeper!

Easy to follow recipe and superb results. Might be more efficient to rollthe dough before cooling in paper for easy cutting but more fun to use cookie cutter. Had to add a couple minutes to bake time for edges to "just start to brown"

These cookies are light and have a delicious rosemary flavor! I used dried rosemary and added an extra tablespoon. They go great with coffee or tea, and I will be making these again.

It is a tradition in my house, for me to make rosemary cookies every season!!! Even my Aunt that does not like rosemary loves these!! Great recipe!!

Everybody who tries these cookies loves them! I add a liitle extra rosemary, but the recipe is great as it is.

definitely couldn't roll it out; too sticky. I did not like the dough or cookies at all, although the family did.

I made this exactly as stated except I left the rosemary out and put on icing. These cookies are a MUST if you’re looking for soft sugar cookies that can be cut!!! For best results, roll and cut these cookies on parchment paper, or a substantial surface, before you put them in the fridge. Also, make sure you only bake for 8 minutes, so they stay soft. They turned out AMAZING and beautiful! As the recipe states, they get better with age. I put “Quick and almost professional buttercream icing” on top and Christmas sprinkles.

Absolute perfection . Can be frozen, thawed, and enjoyed later too! Perfect recipe as is !

The reviews are right, this recipe is easy and the result is delicate cookies. Use the BEST (85% btr fat) butter you can find since it's a big part of this recipe and you want lots of crisp. I simply mixed everything in the stand mixer with the whisk then the paddle for the flour addition. Easy peezy rolling, put not hardened all the way dough between two sheets of parchment then roll to your thickness,put on a cookie sheet then back to the fridge until you feel like cutting them. I use Maldon sea salt flakes, more delicate salt than kosher(you'll increase the salt by a pinch) and instead of sugar on top of the cookies I sprinkled with a small touch of the salt flakes.I let my dough chill overnight since I wasn't in a hurry and just experimenting. It took coaxing to get my family to try these( no chocolate chips ya know) but they just loved them. Definitely a great addition to any savory snack platter you'll make.

Sweet and savory. Loved it. I added a bit of almond extract, too. Good "grown-up" cookies or tea cookies.

I rolled the dough into two logs, wrapped in parchment, then refrigerated for an hour. I sliced the cookies, sprinkled each cookie with very finely chopped rosemary/sugar mixture, and then baked for about 9 minutes. I took the cookies to a Victorian Christmas Open House; they were a huge hit!

One of the best shortbread I ever made. It was a huge hit! A lot of peolple wrinkled their noses when I said the green stuff was rosemary but everyone ended up loving it and I gave the recipe to 10+ people. The recipe is perfect the way it is. DO NOT substitute the butter for anything else and use fresh herbs.

I really like these cookies and the way the hous smells like the holidays when they come out of the oven!

Everyone loves these! The recipe is outstanding as is. However, if you would like a cookie that holds its shape better, use 3 cups of flour and 3/4 cup of sugar. I chill the dough a bit then roll into two logs (using wax paper) and chill until firm. The freezer works if you're in a rush. The logs tend to form corners so I just turn then every 10 minutes or so and they get pretty squarish. Then I slice and chill again for a bit, as suggested by another reviewer. Best cookies ever! Can't wait to try them with lavender.

Simple and delicious, the kids and adults loved these cookies equally

I also had trouble making a dough despite using the full 1 and a half cups of butter. It was too dry. I resorted to adding cooking oil.

This is one of the best cookies I have ever made. The recipe is easy and the flavor is perfect. Great at Christmas.

I only had 1 c of unsalted butter on hand, so I used one stick of salted as well as the two of unsalted and omitted the salt from the recipe. They turned out quite well, and they are very tasty with lemon curd spread on top!

These are a huge hit evertime I make them. The only thing I do differently is roll the dough into a log and slice it up to make round cookies. Absolutely delicious.

Outstanding as written. Even better when you add the zest of one orange. Melts in your mouth. Frequently requested at church gatherings!