brown butter rosemary shortbread

These are perhaps my most favourite cookie ever,they are crispy and rich and perfectly sweet yet slightly savoury, and they are most certainly  well received every-time I make them.

We brought in the new year with a dinner party (followed by a fabulous outdoor skating party) and my daughter insisted on making dessert and was eager to test out some cookie cutters we had rediscovered during a new year kitchen cleaning. We also discovered yesterday that these cookies make really good snack-food sustenance if for some unknown reason you find your self feeling under the weather the day after a big party!

This cookie recipe also brings us to essential cookie elements 5: A cookie should embrace some unexpected and exciting ingredients, because old chocolate chip leaves something to be desired (at least for this non cookie lover), and essential cookie elements 6: IT”S ALWAY BETTER WITH BUTTER! enough said. I embrace vegan cooking and baking on a weekly basis but a cookie is best when it starts with real farm fresh butter.

with 2011 behind us I think these buttery treats are also on the back burner for a while! I look forward to sharing more seasonal yet healthy recipes in the coming weeks, as for today lets have a sinful kick off to a fresh new year, shall we?

brown butter rosemary shortbread cookies

In a small pan melt:

1 cup of butter

1 tbsp rosemary bits (fresh is best, but dry will do)

brown slowly stirring often over medium heat, as soon as the butter bubbles turn a deep dark golden brown, add 2 tbsp maple syrup and remove from heat, stir well and allow to cool.

sift together

2 cups of four (the whitest variety you have works best, white fine spelt is fine)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup cane sugar

In a stand mixer blend cooled butter mix with dry ingredients and 1 egg (at room temperature)

Form dough into a small slab and tightly fold in parchment paper. Set in fridge for 20-30 minutes.

Roll dough to 1/4 – 1/2″ thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake cookies on parchment lined pan at 350 for 10-14 minutes (depending on cookie size and thickness) remove from oven when edges are browned.

enjoy!