Rosemary-Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Method

1. Wash and dry the lemons. Grate only the yellow, never the white pith underneath. Measure 1 packed Tbsp of zest for the dough and about ½ Tbsp for the topping, then juice one lemon and measure out 1 ½ to 2 Tbsp.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in the zest, the lemon juice and the lemon extract.

4. Add the flour, salt and rosemary and mix until it just comes together.

5. Cover and chill 15 minutes. If the dough is still too soft to handle, give it longer.

6. Rolled and cut

7. Roll on a lightly floured surface to exactly ¼ inch. A rolling pin with ¼ inch spacers makes this automatic. Cut into 1 ½ by 2 inch rectangles, or use a cutter.

8. Slice and bake

9. Or shape the dough into logs 1 to 2 inches across, wrap tight in plastic with the ends twisted, and freeze at least 90 minutes. Unwrap and slice into ¼ inch rounds.

10. Baking

11. Heat the oven to 375°F and line the sheets with silicone mats or parchment.

12. Lay the cookies out an inch apart and sprinkle the lemon sugar over the tops. Use as much as you like; the batch below is more than you need.

13. Bake, checking at 8 minutes, until the edges are just golden. The lemon juice and extract can shift the time, and slices from the freezer may want a minute or two more.

14. Cool on wire racks. Store airtight at room temperature once completely cool.