Thyme, Lemon, and Sea-Salt Shortbread

Name: Thyme, Lemon, and Sea-Salt Shortbread
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 26
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp coarse sea salt; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 2 larges egg yolks; 414 milliliters all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme; 1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest; 0 teaspoons salt; 118 milliliters (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

Thyme, Lemon, and Sea-Salt Shortbread

Thyme, Lemon, and Sea-Salt Shortbread is From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes. If you have thyme, flour, egg yolks, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it.

Instructions

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.

Ingredients you will need

Lemon Peel

Egg Yolk

Butter

All Purpose Flour

Thyme

Water

Salt

Egg

Dry Seasoning Rub

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Make a well in the center of the flour.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose 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 disc, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate until firm, about 1/2 hour.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Wrap

Egg

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the bottom of a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

Equipment you will use

Baking Paper

Baking Sheet

Oven

Remove the 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.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Roll

Equipment you will use

Rolling Pin

Cut the 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 cookies on the prepared baking sheet leaving a little room between each cookie.

Ingredients you will need

Dough

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Knife

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 cookie so it does not fall off.

Ingredients you will need

Salt

Egg

Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Transfer to a cooling rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Ingredients you will need

Equipment you will use

Wire Rack

From Savory Baking:Warm and Inspiring Recipes for Crisp, Crumbly, Flaky Pastries byMary Cech. Text copyright © 2009 by Mary Cech; photographs copyright © 2009 by Noel Barnhurst. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.