Best Bites: Easy Hors d'Oeuvres For The Elegant & Lazy
Herbed Shortbread
Traditionally considered a cookie base, shortbread goes rogue in this recipe. Seasoned with savory herbs, flakey sea salt, and crunchy, coarse sugar, this is one un-cookie we can't keep our hands off.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 stalk fresh rosemary
1 stalk fresh thyme
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp, but not too soft)
1 cup flour
1/2 tbps sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp coarse sugar (like raw, or Demerara)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, 1/4 tbsp salt, and 1 tbsp sugar.
Tear the herbs into smaller pieces over the bowl, pressing them with your fingers (this helps release the oils).
Chop butter into the bowl, and incorporate it into the flour mixture with your hands, using a crumbling gesture with your fingers. You can also use a pastry cutter if you have one.
You're done when there are no unincorporated bits of butter, and the batter looks a bit like wet sand.
Scatter the batter evenly into a square baking pan, and press it flat and even. Top with remaining sugar and salt.
Bake for 10-20 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven and slice while it's still hot (it will get crumbly if you wait). Now let it cool, and...
You're golden.
in NYC