Thyme, Lemon, and Sea-Salt Shortbread
October 13, 2009 posted by Linda Avery
Mary Cech | Savory Baking | Chronicle Books, 2009 | Makes 28 shortbread
Tender and crisp, packed with delicate herbal and aromatic lemon flavors, these rolled thyme-lemon shortbread cookies accented with a little sea salt are easy to prepare, versatile, and delicious.—Mary Cech
convert Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
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Method
1. Stir the flour, salt, lemon peel, and thyme together in a medium bowl. With your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms. Blend the lightly beaten egg, egg yolks, and water together. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture for brushing.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the remaining egg mixture and blend together with your hands without kneading the dough together; the dough will look a bit crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough together once or twice, just until it sticks together. Press the dough into a 1-inch-thick disc, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate until firm, about 1/2 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Remove the shortbread dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place it on a floured work surface. Press the dough into a 6-by-5-inch rectangle. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a larger 10-by-7-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut the shortbread dough in half, forming two 5-by-7-inch pieces. Using a pizza wheel or sharp paring knife, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Carefully place the shortbreads on the prepared baking sheet leaving a little room between each cookie. Brush the tops with the reserved egg mixture and sprinkle a little coarse sea salt on top. Gently press the salt into the surface of each shortbread so it does not fall off.
5. Bake until the shortbreads are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Store the shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Recipe © 2009 Mary Cech. Photo © 2009 Noel Barnhurst. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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[Chiyo Ueyama] When I read “. . . with your fingertips,” and” . . . with your hands,” I was sold. Anyone who cooks and bakes in a tiny kitchen would know what I mean. You won’t need a fancy stand mixer (I don’t have one) or a food processor (Did I say tiny kitchen? Mine is never out on the counter ready to go.) to make this shortbread dough. Just get your big bowl out and wash your hands, and in minutes the dough comes together so easily. And it’s workable—not sticky at all—after 30 minutes in the fridge. The finished shortbread is light and tender, and the sea salt is nice with the refreshing lemon and thyme flavors. These shortbreads would be great with a salad of buttery lettuces or with a fruit plate.
[Duane DeMello] These shortbread went fast! Served warm, the cookies were wonderfully tasty. Obviously, with such few ingredients, the lemon and thyme provided the bulk of the taste. This recipe will be made again many times over in my home.
[Brenda Carleton] As a shortbread addict I love this recipe. I’m always trying to come up with shortbread variations and very much enjoyed this one. The lemon and thyme offer a subtle delectable flavour.
[Cindi Kruth] I was a little surprised by what a hit these shortbread were. I loved the salt hit on the first bite, but would have liked a slightly stronger herb flavor. Next time I’ll use a bit more thyme and lemon. These shortbread are perfect to serve with soup or as addition to a cheese plate or just as a snack by themselves.
[Annie Leslie] This recipe is extremely easy, and it makes such a light shortbread. I will make these again for sure!
[Emiko Taki] I could taste the combination of flavors just by looking at the name of this shortbread recipe, and it was as good as I imagined. The thyme gave an aromatic, herbal flavor while the lemon added slightly bitter, citrusy flavors.
[Michelle Massey] These shortbread were really good! They reminded me of cheese twists or a rough puff pastry. Very buttery and addictive. The sea salt added a nice crunch. I did try the recipe twice, making the second batch into tiny tart shells to hold a savoury filling, the pastry held up very well, not too crumbly. These would be lovely as a hostess gift for the upcoming holiday season.
[Karen Taylor] Simple, straightforward, and tasty. I even made the shortbread from ingredients I had on hand and didn’t have to go to the grocery store—a rarity for my tiny apartment kitchen. Loved this and can see it being just as tasty with coarse sugar instead of salt. I even liked how the recipe instructed the shortbread to be cut into sticks, so they came out sort of like breadsticks. If I had to change anything, I might add just a touch of rice flour or corn starch to get that nice delicate shortbread crumb.
[Maria Peplowski] These shortbread were very easy to make and tasted wonderful, light, and lemony-thyme-y. I may add a bit more thyme next time, as I really like it. We loved these with a glass of wine…a perfect little nibble.
Nothing will make that shortbread come alive like a good salt! The Bretons in France are masters of the salted shortbread, and the beautiful, mineral flavors of a Brittany fleur de sel would really make this recipe sing.