Herbfarm Rosemary Shortbread

"This delicious and easy-to-prepare recipe was shared by Ron Zimmerman of The Herbfarm with Susan Herrmann Loomis and published in the "Farmhouse Cookbook." I recently enjoyed a rosemary shortbread at Seattle's Gypsy by Chef Gabriel Claycamp, and wanted to try making some at home - since Gabriel is acquainted with the Zimmermans, I chose this recipe. :) I've adapted it a bit for my own use. The Herbfarm Restaurant is located in Woodinville, Washington. Each week, the award-winning restaurant chooses the best from farm, forest, and sea to create thematic 9-course dinners showcasing the Pacific Northwest."
 
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photo by Julesong photo by Julesong
photo by Julesong
photo by Julesong photo by Julesong
Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
7
Yields:
3 dozen cookies
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ingredients

  • 1 12 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 23 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary (fresh preferred) or 2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary (fresh preferred)
  • 2 14 cups flour
  • 12 cup rice flour (rice flour available at natural foods stores, I substitute oat flour) or 1/2 cup brown rice flour (rice flour available at natural foods stores, I substitute oat flour)
  • 14 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar, for topping (optional)
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directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F; line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • With an electric mixer (although you could do it by hand, if you like), cream the butter until it is a pale yellow and is light in texture.
  • With the mixer running on medium low, gradually add the sugar and mix until it is fluffy.
  • Add the rosemary and mix until well incorporated, then add the flours and salt and mix until thoroughly combined; the dough will be soft.
  • Place dough in a container (or wrap in plastic) and chill for at least 1 hour.
  • Generously flour a board, flour the rolling pin, and gently roll the chilled dough (try not to work it too much or roll it too thin) to form a rectangle about 10x14-inches and about 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut the cookies into 1 1/2-inch by 2-inch rectangles (or whatever shape you'd like - I find it easier to use a round cookie/biscuit cutter; when doing multiple batches make sure to put the unused dough in the freezer to keep it chilled in between the times you're rolling it out).
  • Place the cut cookies about 1/2-inch apart on the parchment-covered baking sheets and sprinkle with sugar (if using - I don't, they don't need it in my opinion).
  • Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown on the edges.
  • Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
  • Store cooled cookies in airtight containers - their flavor will improve as they age, so if you can make them at least two days in advance that's the best to do; they'll keep for a week.
  • Note: I know that the amount of fresh rosemary sounds like a lot, but really, it *isn't* - don't decrease it. :).

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Reviews

  1. Julie made this shortbread because we had a delicious version at Gypsy. But even so I have to say that I like this recipe even better than Gabriel's! It was light and crispy and very delicious!!!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>It's simply this: I love to cook! :) <br /><br />I've been hanging out on the internet since the early days and have collected loads of recipes. I've tried to keep the best of them (and often the more unusual) and look forward to sharing them with you, here. <br /><br />I am proud to say that I have several family members who are also on RecipeZaar! <br /><br />My husband, here as <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/39857>Steingrim</a>, is an excellent cook. He rarely uses recipes, though, so often after he's made dinner I sit down at the computer and talk him through how he made the dishes so that I can get it down on paper. Some of these recipes are in his account, some of them in mine - he rarely uses his account, though, so we'll probably usually post them to mine in the future. <br /><br />My sister <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/65957>Cathy is here as cxstitcher</a> and <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/62727>my mom is Juliesmom</a> - say hi to them, eh? <br /><br />Our <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/379862>friend Darrell is here as Uncle Dobo</a>, too! I've been typing in his recipes for him and entering them on R'Zaar. We're hoping that his sisters will soon show up with their own accounts, as well. :) <br /><br />I collect cookbooks (to slow myself down I've limited myself to purchasing them at thrift stores, although I occasionally buy an especially good one at full price), and - yes, I admit it - I love FoodTV. My favorite chefs on the Food Network are Alton Brown, Rachel Ray, Mario Batali, and Giada De Laurentiis. I'm not fond over fakey, over-enthusiastic performance chefs... Emeril drives me up the wall. I appreciate honesty. Of non-celebrity chefs, I've gotta say that that the greatest influences on my cooking have been my mother, Julia Child, and my cooking instructor Chef Gabriel Claycamp at Seattle's Culinary Communion. <br /><br />In the last couple of years I've been typing up all the recipes my grandparents and my mother collected over the years, and am posting them here. Some of them are quite nostalgic and are higher in fat and processed ingredients than recipes I normally collect, but it's really neat to see the different kinds of foods they were interested in... to see them either typewritten oh-so-carefully by my grandfather, in my grandmother's spidery handwriting, or - in some cases - written by my mother years ago in fountain pen ink. It's like time travel. <br /><br />Cooking peeve: food/cooking snobbery. <br /><br />Regarding my black and white icon (which may or may not be the one I'm currently using): it the sea-dragon tattoo that is on the inside of my right ankle. It's also my personal logo.</p>
 
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