Firstly, I'd like to apologize for my compulsive use of puns. I've really tried to control it within the confines of this blog, and for the most part I feel I've been pure. Hopefully this time it won't freak you out too much to read about what this post is about...COOKIES.
Secondly, regarding desserts, I do not have much of a sweet tooth. Don't get me wrong, I like desserts, but I don't have the craving or necessity for sweet things the way many people do. I am no chocoholic. I much prefer savory treats, so a SWEET and savory treat is right up my alley. Something like salted caramels, or ROSEMARY BUTTER COOKIES.
This is a Martha Stewart recipe. I love her, ok? You might not, but let's all be honest- that lady gets things done. Naturally I looked to her wisdom for a relatively foolproof cookie recipe. And it turned out deliciously! Here is how I did it:
Rosemary Butter Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup fine sanding sugar
Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until pale and
fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in whole egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to
low. Add flour, rosemary, and salt, and mix until combined.
Halve dough; shape each half into a log. Place each log on a 12-by-16-inch sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Transfer to paper-towel tubes to hold shape, and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. The point here is to get a really round, evenly shaped log of dough. Also, these are small cookies, don't be scared of their size.
Preheat oven to 375. Brush each log with egg white; roll in
sanding sugar. I used red, which was very cute. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on
baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until edges are golden, 18 to
20 minutes. Make sure that you do not let them burn! I left mine in 45 seconds too long and they got too brown, seriously. Because they're so thin, they will cook quickly.
Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in airtight
containers at room temperature up to 3 days.
Enjoy these savory and sweet holiday treats!
