To know me, is to know my absolute LOVE and adoration of Christmas. You guys, I love the holidays so much I would eat my Christmas tree, if I could. But I can’t, I’ve tried (I haven’t). Seriously though, I was thinking the other day about the aroma of the tree and that very distinct evergreen scent that fills the house and how I wish I could bottle it up and eat it. These ramblings of a Christmas crazy person did actually serve some purpose, it brought me to the idea of rosemary cookies.
Yes, I know rosemary is not the same as a pine tree, but it certainly is reminiscent, it does have teeny little hints of the same earthy aroma and it felt like the perfect flavor to craft a cookie around. Besides, to know me is to also know that I much prefer savory over sweet and most Christmas cookies are just way too sugary for my taste.
Shortbread cookies are one of my very favorite cookies. I love the simplicity, the subtle sweetness, and of course, it’s crispy nature and rich buttery flavors! I have found I am able to tolerate good grass-fed butter these days (YAY!!), so I went for it and made these cookies the classic way. Don’t skimp on the butter, go for the best stuff you can find, trust me, it matters. If you can’t do butter, try ghee, coconut oil or palm oil shortening. If the rosemary isn’t your thing, leave it out, for an extra layer of savory goodness, sprinkle a little coarse sea salt on the chocolate as it’s cooling.
If you want to skip on rolling the dough out and using cutters, simply roll the dough into a 2 to 3-inch log, refrigerate and slice the log into discs. Done and done. More time to deck the halls, Christmas shop, or to watch the Grinch! Oh and if you ask me, no cookie is complete without some chocolate. So these buttery, little beauties get a bath in some super dark chocolate to finish them off.
Dark Chocolate-Dipped Paleo Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted grass fed butter, softened (or ghee, coconut oil or palm shortening)
- ¼ cup raw honey or maple syrup, or other liquid sweetener
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 5 tablespoons arrowroot starch, plus more for rolling out
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon very finely minced fresh rosemary
- 3-4 ounces dark chocolate, I used 85% dark - you could also use homemade
Instructions
- Put the softened butter and honey into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, and gradually work it into a soft paste. This could also be done by hand.
- Sift the almond flour and arrowroot starch into the creamed butter and honey mixture. Gently mix again on low, until a crumbly, soft dough forms. Fold in the finely minced rosemary. Using your hands, knead the dough together to form a ball, then flatten into a disc and place between two sheets of parchment paper or in plastic wrap and place into the fridge. Chill until the dough is more firm, at least 30 minutes, up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the disc of dough between two sheets of parchment paper lightly sprinkled with arrowroot starch sprinkling a little on top of the dough,as well. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to around 1/4-inch thick. Lightly dust the cookie cutter you plan to use (I used a 2-inch fluted circle) with a little arrowroot starch as well. Remove the top parchment paper and begin cutting out the cookies. You could also cut them into bars.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to the parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches apart. I find using a metal spatula dusted with a little arrowroots, to transfer, to be easiest. Reroll dough scraps to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out additional cookies. You may need a couple baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes until ever so slightly golden brown. Watch them carefully so they don't brown too much.
- Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the pan, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, melt your chocolate using the double boiler method (a bowl over a pan with simmering water) or in small increments in the microwave. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
- Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and transfer to parchment or wax paper to cool. Once cooled, store in air-tight container or bag in the fridge.
Notes
You can also roll the dough into a 2-3 inch log before refrigerating and simply slice the log into 1/4-inch thick discs, instead of rolling it out.
Baking time can vary slightly depending on how powerful your oven is, so keep a watchful eye on your cookies, you want them ever so golden, definitely not browned.
To make vegan opt for maple syrup and coconut oil or palm oil shortening and use vegan chocolate
11 Responses
These look amazing! I am just wondering – have you actually tried baking these with ghee or coconut oil with success? I know they react a bit differently than butter does in baking, so I am curious to know if it’s been tested before I try these. Thanks in advance!
I have only tested with butter myself. I personally think that the palm oil shortening would be the next best option. I think the coconut oil and ghee will work, but the results will likely vary from the original recipe a bit, for sure.
I have been seeing a lot of Christmas cookie and shortbread recipes on the interwebs this past week that I feel are just too sugary for me! I still want to get into the Christmas spirit without the sweets getting upsetting my stomach. Definitely saving these goodies for later!
I hear ya, the internet is littered with sugary treats currently – my teeth just hurt looking at most of them. These are actually very very subtly sweet, with only 1/2 cup of honey in the entire recipe these are the right amount of sweetness if you are sensitive, like I am. I also went with the 85% dark chocolate to keep that trend going. I think you’ll really like these. Let me know what you think.
hi
i will try these for my new year’s treats.
i went to the bottom and checked out your sweet vanilla cookies with almond milk pulp.
another use for the pulp, is in a facial mask with a tiny bit of honey-antibacterial..and a ripe avacado. mash, apply, and meditate, for 20 minutes. it is the most luxurious my skin has ever felt. it was ok to lick some too. lol
These look so simple and elegant! Love! Definitely going to try a vegan version with coconut oil 🙂
Awesome! Please let me know how they come out, I am curious.
What i can do if i don’t have almond flour?
You could try another nut flour, but this recipe has only been tested with blanched almond flour.
Are these supposed to hold their shape in the oven? Yours look like they did and mine are spreading like crazy! Definitely do not look like shortbread cookies!
Hi Stephanie, I think you may have written me on Instagram as well, but I really believe it could have something to do with your altitude or the particular almond flour you used, which I haven’t tested myself, yet. Did you keep absolutely everything else about the recipe the same?