Ingredients add zest to shortbread

Associated Press

Summer may lend itself to healthy, light and fruity desserts, but every now and then nibbling on something buttery is a nice change of pace. This recipe adds rosemary and orange zest to a traditional shortbread cookie, updating an old-fashioned favorite.

Buttery rosemary orange shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg white

Sugar for sprinkling

Combine butter, rosemary, orange zest and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer. Beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until ingredients are combined and butter is very smooth. Add salt and flour until a cohesive dough forms, but do not over mix.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and press it into a smooth rectangle. Roll dough into a 1/2-inch rectangle. Cut into 2-by-2-inch bars. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Brush cookies with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake cookies until they have a very light tan color, 25 to 27 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet, then transfer to an air tight container.