sophistikitchen: lemon rosemary shortbread

as an event planner, i've had lots of experience with caterers. some wonderful and some downright frightening. i've learned the ability that food has to set a tone for an occasion or an environment. to make you feel at home, safe, impressed, considered...food is such an incredible medium for sophisticated expression. over the years i've had a growing interest in cooking and, despite a lack of training, i am becoming increasingly confident and enjoy trying lots of new things.

one of my recent successes?
lemon rosemary shortbread cookies.
rich, light, fresh, aromatic--they are just so right. i served these at this year's easter brunch and they were the perfect springtime touch after a very rich meal.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons white sugar for decoration

directions

1. in a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. stir in the flour, salt, lemon juice and rosemary until well blended. the dough will be somewhat soft. cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
   
2. remove dough from the refrigerator and hand-roll small balls of dough (about 1T) and place about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. slightly flatten the balls of dough into disks.*
   
3. preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. refrigerate the dough disks for another thirty minutes. this is essential for the shortbread cookies to maintain their shape while cooking.
4. sprinkle lemon zest and the remaining sugar over the tops of the cookies.
5. bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden at the edges. cool on wire racks, and store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days before serving (to allow flavors to mellow).

*other options:
1. after refrigerating, roll dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut into small rectangles.
1. prior to refrigerating, mold dough into a log shape and wrap in plastic wrap. refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours and slice circles about 1/4 inch thick.
[recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.]

...happy sophisticating...