Chef John's Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter , cold, cut into thin slices
• 0.5 cups white sugar , more as needed
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary , not minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.13 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2.25 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Combine butter, ½ cup sugar, rosemary, salt, and vanilla extract in a large bowl using the back of a spatula or spoon, slowly incorporating ingredients until butter has softened somewhat and ingredients come together.

3. 3

   Rub flour into butter mixture, using floured hands and fingertips, rubbing mixture together, until floury crumbs become buttery crumbs, about 1 to 2 minutes. Press mixture together until forms a dough ball.

4. 4

   Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; press into a disk, then into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten dough to ¼-inch-thick using a flat pan or rolling pin. Reshape into a 5x12-inch rectangle.

5. 5

   Cut dough lengthwise into 5 even strips, about 1-inch wide, trimming excess dough if necessary. Cut each strip into 6 even squares (you can roll out scraps to form more cookies if necessary). Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with 1 pinch sugar. Poke 4 rows of holes into each cookie using a fork.

6. 6

   Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 50 minutes.

7. 7

   Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. 8

   Enjoy!