Rosemary Lemon Shortbread

This is the first of three recipes I'll be guest blogging about on Meals; for Moderns, my friend Becky's fantastic vegetarian food blog. I've lately been intrigued with the idea of using fresh herbs in baked goods--fresh herbs pack so much flavor, but you rarely (with the exception of the staples like mint and lavender) see them outside of the savory. I'll be exploring the hidden "gems" of the herbal world over three posts.

***

I adapted this Scotch Shortbread recipe from page 775 of the 75th (no joke) anniversary edition of The Joy of Cooking. I'm actually not the biggest fan of the JoC; in fact, I'm not really a fan at all. I find the recipes extremely uninspiring, and I can't help but feel like a mid-century housewife preparing bland meals for a bland husband when I dig into its bland recipes. I know. I understand. That's the point. It's how the JoC came to be in the first place--The United States of Arugula, another book I strongly dislike for unrelated reasons, told me so (page 22):

"Irma Rombauer, the author of The Joy of Cooking, represented a sane middle ground for housewives in the thirties and forties...[she explained] that the Joy of Cooking had been compiled 'with one eye on the family purse and the other on the bathroom scale,' with 'occasional lapses into indulgence.'"

Sure. It's iconic. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

(Side note: Continue down the same page and, behold, a treasure--tucked away in an otherwise unassuming footnote:

"Rombauer, a bourgeois St. Louis housewife of German descent, compiled the first edition...in 1931...as an exercise in getting over the 1930 suicide of her husband."

Because I know I'm not the only morbid one here: answers.com tells us that Edgar Rombauer shot himself through the mouth after having a nervous breakdown, not his first, in 1929.)

One more thing about this recipe and the JoC: I swear by using sour cream in as many baked goods as I can, and this recipe is no exception. It overjoyed me, then, to read this, right from the very back reference pages:

"The longevity of people in certain cultures in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and western Asia is often attributed to their diet of sour and fermented milks." Since this is a food blog, I'll keep the gory details short: "Friendly" bacteria from these sour, fermented milks settle in the gut, stimulate the growth of good things, and boost immunity.

Thanks for the seal of approval, Rombauer.

Na zdrowie!

Rosemary Lemon Shortbread
Makes 12-24 shortbread fingers



3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary [note: the more you have, the stronger the flavor!]
1/4 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp lemon zest

1-2 tsp sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the butter starts to bubble, add the fresh rosemary. Continue to boil the butter and rosemary for 1-2 minutes more.

Strain the butter and discard the rosemary scraps. Let the butter sit for 15-20 minutes to cool a bit.

Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the flour until blended, then add the sour cream and lemon zest. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Use a fork to pierce the dough (tenderly, please) to make a decorative pattern.

Sprinkle with sugar before popping in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the shortbread is lightly browned and darker at the edges. Cut the shortbread into 12-24 skinny fingers while still warm, and leave it in the pan to cool.