Desserts

Lemon Thyme Shortbread

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Lemon Thyme Shortbread

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

While thyme may seem like an unlikely ingredient for a sweet cookie, you will quickly
learn why these are so popular.

Nutritional information per cookie (with ½ teaspoon icing):Calories 89 (56% from fat)
carb. 9g
pro. 1g fat 5g
sat. fat 3g
chol. 25mg
sod. 32mg calc. 2mg
fiber 0g

Ingredients

  • Cookie Dough:
  • 1¾ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 16 tablespoons (2 sticks; ½ pound)
  • European style, unsalted butter,
  • cut into 8 pieces, room temperature
  • ¹⁄³ cup granulated sugar
  • ¹⁄³ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  • Lemon Icing:
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Preparation

  1. 1. Put the flour and salt into a medium
  2. mixing bowl. Using the beaters, mix
  3. on Speed 1 to fully combine, about 30
  4. seconds. Reserve.
  5. 2. Put the butter into a large mixing bowl.
  6. Mix on Speeds 2 to 3 until creamy, then
  7. add the sugars. Mix on Speeds 2 to 3
  8. until light, then add the egg yolks and mix
  9. until combined. Add the dry ingredients
  10. and mix on Speed 2 until evenly mixed.
  11. Add the thyme and lemon zest and gently
  12. mix into dough.
  13. 3. Divide dough into two discs. Wrap in
  14. wax paper/parchment, then wrap well in
  15. plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
  16. 4. Take dough out of fridge to soften slightly.
  17. Preheat oven to 350°F with two racks in
  18. the lower and upper middle thirds of the
  19. oven. Line two rimmed baking sheets
  20. with parchment paper.
  21. 5. Roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness and
  22. use a 1½-inch round cutter to form small
  23. discs. Put onto baking sheets and chill for
  24. about 10 minutes.
  25. 6. Bake chilled cookies for about 12
  26. minutes, until just browned around the
  27. edges, rotating pans if necessary. Cool
  28. cookies completely.
  29. 7. While cookies are cooling, prepare the
  30. icing. Put all of the ingredients into a
  31. medium mixing bowl and mix on Speed 1
  32. until very smooth. If the icing appears to
  33. be too thick, add more cream, 1 teaspoon
  34. at a time. If it appears to be too thin, add
  35. more confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon at
  36. a time. Spread on top of cooled cookies
  37. as desired.