Try these sweet, subtle cookies that are perfect for pairing with afternoon tea.
By Patty Price
Lemon Verbena Shortbread
Try these sweet, subtle cookies that are perfect for pairing with afternoon tea.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 40 cookies 1x
- Category: Baking
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 & 1/4 sticks (140 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Slightly rounded 1/2 cup (125 grams) sugar
- 1/4 cup torn lemon verbena leaves
- Zest of 1 lime, 1/4 teaspoon set aside for topping
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- Coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Place the sugar, lemon verbena and lime zest in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process, scraping down as needed, until the lemon verbena is blended into the sugar.
- Add the butter to the sugar mixture and process, scraping down as necessary until blended and smooth.
- Add the egg and process until blended.
- Add the flour all at once and pulse 12-15 times until the dough forms clumps.
- Remove the dough, divide in half placing on 2 sheets of plastic wrap and press into 2 discs.
- Chill the dough for several hours or freeze until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C)
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll one disc out at a time on a lightly floured surface, until it’s about 1/8th inch (4 mm) thick.
- Using a round or scalloped edge 1&1/2 inch (4 cm) cookie cutter cut out as many cookies as you can and place on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- The scraps can be gathered together, chilled, rolled out again and baked.
- Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes or until they are set and slightly browned on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with coarse sugar and the reserved lime zest while still warm.
Followed exactly, I think the recipe needs salt.
Worst shortbread I ever made! WHY? you couldn’t even taste the lemon verbena or even a lemon taste.
I might try it again but adapt it so as to really give it a lemon flavor- Wanted to use this because my Lemon Verbena was growing
a lot just before the autumn downturn.
Back to the pound cake- at least you can taste the lemon verbena!
★