This week I’ve had cookies on my mind. This is not a normal thing for me. I’m more inclined to think about bread and butter or cheese and fruit. But in preparing for an upcoming cookie exchange, I’ve been thinking a lot about cookies. I wanted to make a cookie that would be sweet (of course), but have a hint of salt and herbs. I decided on a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. I gave some to a couple of friends this week and funny enough both of them called the cookies “dangerous”. I took this as a compliment.
For this recipe, the size of the pan is important. This recipe is for a quarter sheet tray (9×13” inches). This is also the size of many ceramic baking dishes so this is up to you. Lining the sheet tray or baking dish with parchment paper (enough to come up the sides) is extremely helpful when it comes to cutting the cookies, which happens after baking.
For my first batch, I cut them into small 1-inch by 1-inch squares for a little bite of delight, even though they are typically cut into 3-inch by 1-inch rectangles. The truth is, you can cut these into whatever size you want. This is a delicate cookie that is easy to make and requires a gentle touch, especially when cutting.
When they come out of the oven, I sprinkle them with a dusting of sugar in the raw, High Desert Salt and High Desert Herbs. Alternatively, you could sprinkle them with flakey sea salt, sugar in the raw, and minced dried rosemary or another dried herb of your choice.
These are a beautiful cookie to share, fitting snugly in a tin or box. One batch made 40 small cookies, but each cookie is so decadently rich, a little goes a long way.
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Mesa Shortbread Cookies
These buttery herb shortbread cookies are delicately sweet with a hint of salt and herbs. Baked in a sheet pan and finished with flaky sea salt and sugar, they’re melt-in-your-mouth rich, easy to make, and perfect for gifting or cookie exchanges.
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Yield: 20-40 cookies, depending on size
Ingredients
- 3 sticks, unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1 c. (120 g.) powdered sugar
- 2 t. vanilla paste or extract
- 2 c. (240 g.) all-purpose flour
- flakey salt, dried herbs, sugar in the raw for sprinkling
Instructions
Line a 9”x13” sheet tray or baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper come up two sides of the pan for ease of transferring to a cutting board after baking.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand), mix together the butter, salt, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add the flour and continue to mix until the dough comes together into a cohesive dough.
Turn dough out onto the prepared pan and spread as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 300 F. Take the sheet tray out of the fridge and using a fork, score the entire surface of the dough about 1-inch apart, pressing the fork not quite to the bottom of the pan. Bake for around 1 hour, or until the shortbread is a light golden brown.
When the shortbread comes out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the top with a flakey sea salt, sugar in the raw, and herbs. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cut the shortbread into your desired shape and size (square or rectangle) and let it completely cool in the pan. Once the shortbread has cooled completely, you can lift the parchment paper out of the pan and transfer the cookies to a large cutting board for easy handling.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: New Mexican
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