Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.”
– Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Mother’s Day is this weekend and I wanted to make something pretty for my wonderful mom. She’s an amazing woman and given that she’s the one who taught me how to bake, it only seemed right to bake something especially for her.
Enter lemon thyme shortbread cookies. Not only are these oh-so-delicious but they’re a snap to make. You could skip the lemon and thyme but why would you want to? That little hint of tang and savory enhances the buttery richness of these cookies and turns them from something really good into something really special.
If you’re after something a little more fancy-schmancy for Mom, try the Lime Panna Cotta Tarts with Blueberry Glaze. Or if you’re brunching it up on Sunday, try the Leek Parmesan Quiche. Or make all of them! She’s your mom – she deserves it.
Reality Bakes
Butter matters! Being the featured ingredient here, you’ll want to make sure you use really quality stuff. I used gorgeous yellow Kerrygold Irish unsalted butter, which has a higher butterfat content than American butter and comes from grass-fed cows. (If I was doing a buttercream, I’d probably go with a paler European butter like Plugra.)
Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of one lemon
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl sift together the flour and sea salt. Set aside.
- Add butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until creamy.
- Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed and add vanilla, beating until combined.
- Add the lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, and the thyme, and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a work surface and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough on a well-floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut out cookies into desired shapes. I used 3" heart cutters.
- Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges start to lightly brown.
- Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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This is one of my go to recipes, made many times over at this point. I add a Tbs of chili flakes for a little kick and it gives it beautiful red and green flecks – a sleeve of these makes a really nice addition to a holiday gift. The dough is so pretty on its own, I just roll into long narrow logs before refrigerating and slice up into coins to bake.
Ooh, I love the chili flakes idea. Brilliant! So glad you’re enjoying the recipe. It is a pretty dough, isn’t it?