Bright citrus and fresh herbs dance with sugar cookie flavors in these incredibly simple Lemon-Rosemary Cut-Out Cookies.
Herbs never seem to fail me, though. Depending on the time of year, I have sage, thyme, bay leaf, basil, parsley, dill, chives, lavender, and rosemary flourishing in abundance. And that’s a good thing, considering I use fresh herbs daily, not just in cooking but also in baking.
These lemon-rosemary cut-out cookies are an ode to one of my favorite herbs. With its woodsy aroma, subtly sweet notes, and hints of pepper, rosemary not only adds brightness to my soups, marinades, sauces, and vegetable dishes, but also works its magic when paired with zesty lemon in these cookies. You’ll love their buttery texture and delicate crumb, and they are so much fun to make with little helpers. In this recipe, we’ve cut them into squares and kept decorations to a minimum, but feel free to let your imagination run wild. Use any cookie cutter shape you like, and decorate them as you please.
Perfect as a snack with a cup of herbal tea or served as part of a dessert, these gorgeous cookies are sure to become a favorite.
Decorating ideas
Though these cookies are lovely plain, you can also decorate them for a more elegant or fun look. If you happen to have a lemon-shaped cookie cutter, you might want to try your hand at using some Royal Icing tinted in yellow (for the lemon) and green (for the leaf). They’re also great topped with a simple Sugar Cookie Glaze and dusted with yellow or white sanding sugar or sprinkles. Here, we’ve added two tiny lemon drops and a sprig of rosemary on top of the glaze. Lemon zest would work well, too.
How do I store leftovers?
Unbaked, the cookie dough will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. Once baked, the cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for about 1 week. For longer storage, flash-freeze them before transferring them to a Ziploc bag. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months and will thaw quickly at room temperature.
Serving suggestions
I love these cookies as an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of ginger tea, but they’re also perfect served with a bowl of tangy lemon sorbet or our creamy Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
If, like me, you also happen to have an abundance of rosemary to play around with, try it in our delightful Lemon-Rosemary Cake or pair its herbal goodness with another citrus flavor in these highly snackable Orange And Rosemary Pecans.
Lemon-Rosemary Cut-Out Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the lemon zest, rosemary, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Beat for an additional minute.
- Add in the eggs while the machine runs. The mixture will look slightly curdled.
- Next, mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stop as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough comes together, ensuring not to overmix.
- Turn out the dough and wrap it in plastic. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface. It should be about 1/4-inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut the cookies into your desired shapes.
- Transfer the cookies to the lined baking sheet, placing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, removing them before the edges brown.
- Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Decorate as desired or enjoy plain.
Do you eat the rosemary or remove it?
I personally remove it because I don’t like the texture but if you don’t mind it it tastes great
My second year of making these stunning cookies – I give them as gifts and everyone goes on and on about how delicious these are! I, also, make them just because they are so darn good. Thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks so much Casey, so happy you love them!