Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (240g)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp grapefruit zest
- 1 tsp coarse sanding sugar (optional, for topping)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup cold, salted butter, cut into cubes (2 sticks / 227g)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 325°F (160°C / Gas mark 3) to ensure it’s at the perfect temperature for baking the shortbread evenly.
- Pulse Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, chopped fresh rosemary, and grapefruit zest. This step helps to break up the herbs and zest, evenly distributing their flavors throughout the dough.
- Add Butter and Pulse: Add the cubes of cold, salted butter into the dry mixture and pulse until the mixture forms sandy crumbs. The texture should be crumbly and coarse, not smooth, indicating the butter pieces are the right size for tender shortbread.
- Press Dough into Pan: Transfer the crumbly dough into an ungreased 8×8 inch pan. Use a flexible plastic bench scraper or the back of a spoon to press the dough down firmly and evenly, creating a flat, compact layer.
- Dock the Dough: Use a fork, skewer, or toothpick to poke holes all over the surface of the dough. This docking process allows steam to escape during baking, preventing bubbles and ensuring a crisp texture.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the shortbread for 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking to promote even browning on all sides.
- Cut and Cool: Remove the shortbread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove from the pan and gently cut into pieces while still warm to avoid crumbling.
- Final Cooling: Transfer the cut cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before serving or storing, ensuring they firm up to the perfect shortbread texture.
Notes
- Using cold butter is critical for achieving the crumbly texture typical of shortbread.
- If you don’t have grapefruit zest, lemon or orange zest can be used as a substitute for a different citrus twist.
- Coarse sanding sugar on top adds a delightful sparkle and subtle crunch but is optional.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness for up to one week.
- For a gluten-free adaptation, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
