Rosemary for baking

Note the September issue of Lucky. Nothing beats cookies and fashion.

I know that sounds weird. A spice + cookies = ? But in this case, rosemary was a perfect compliment to the almost too-sweet taste of Martha's Rosemary Walnut Shortbread Cookies. My versions didn't look too great because they fell apart due to the combination of substituted whole wheat flour (dries it out) and vegetable margarine (makes the dough flatter). But, I think they worked out just fine.

Not going to lie, this afternoon I laid in bed and ate almost an entire baggie of these as a cathartic reaction to the current tumult of application stress. Though it didn't really help, they were delicious!

Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/338288/rosemary-walnut-shortbread-cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat, half white)
• 1/2 cup finely ground walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (As always, I used vegetable margarine)
• 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Raw sugar, for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk flour, nuts, rosemary, and salt in a large bowl.
   
2. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until lightened, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until dough comes together and is smooth, about 3 minutes.
   
3. Turn out dough onto parchment paper, and pat into a round. Place parchment paper on top; roll into a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
   
4. Cut out cookies using various sizes of heart-shape cutters (1/2 inch to 3 inches); transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. (Keep same-size cookies on same sheet.) Roll scraps; cut out. Gently press raw sugar onto edges of cookies.
   
5. Bake until just golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.