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Rosemary shortbreads with lemon icing recipe

Rosemary shortbreads with lemon icing recipe

33 ratings

Rosemary isn't just for savoury dishes, give it a sweet spin with this classic, buttery shortbread recipe. With a drizzle of lemon icing these biscuits make an elegant afternoon tea treat - the secret is the self-raising flour which gives the shortbread a soft, crumbly texture. See method

  • Serves 12 (makes 12)
  • 12 mins to prepare and 8 mins to cook, plus cooling
  • 179 calories / serving
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 50g caster sugar
  • 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 175g self-raising flour

To decorate

  • 6 tbsp icing sugar, sieved
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • rosemary leaves (4-6 per shortbread)
No self-raising flour? Add 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g plain flour

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    750kj
    179kcal     9%

  • Fat

    9g 13%

  • Saturates

    5g 27%

  • Sugars

    12g 13%

  • Salt

    0.2g 3%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 24.4g Protein 1.4g Fibre 0.6g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then stir in the chopped rosemary, flour and a pinch of salt. Bring together to form a dough, then divide into 12 equal pieces and press into the holes of a nonstick muffin tin.
  2. Bake for 8 mins or until lightly golden. Leave to cool in the tin for around 10 mins, then turn the tin over onto a cooling rack and tap to release the biscuits. Leave to cool completely.
  3. Mix the icing sugar with 1½ tbsp lemon juice to make a runny icing. Drizzle over the cooled biscuits, then scatter with the lemon zest and a few rosemary leaves. Leave to set for 20 mins or until the icing is solid. The shortbreads will keep for a week in an airtight container.

Tip: If you have any leftover rosemary, finely chop the leaves and stir into softened butter with a little lemon zest, then pop into ice cube trays and freeze. You've then got a deliciously fragrant herb butter to melt over steaks or to add to sauces and casseroles.

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