Imparted with bright, fresh lemon thyme in the shortbread and sporting a dollop of apple jelly beneath the marzipan, these subtly verdant, picture-perfect cookies will truly melt in your mouth. Pictured with our Mojito Cheesecake Bars and Apricot-Orange Tea Bread.
Marzipan-crowned Lemon-Thyme Shortbread
Serves: 24
Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus additional for dusting
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 (7-ounce) packages molding marzipan
- Green food coloring, optional
- 2 tablespoons apple jelly
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, thyme, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add and beat in flour mixture to butter mixture until combined. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to a 1⁄4-inch thickness. Using a fluted 2-inch round cutter dipped in flour, cut 12 rounds from each dough portion without twisting cutter, rerolling scraps only once. Place rounds approximately 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Freeze until firm, approximately 10 minutes.
- Bake until edges of cookies are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Let cool on pans for 1 minute. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Line a work surface with plastic wrap or parchment paper and dust heavily with confectioner’s sugar.
- Knead 1 or 2 drops food coloring into marzipan until incorporated, if desired. On prepared work surface, roll out marzipan to a 1⁄4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch floral cookie stamp dipped in confectioner’s sugar, press design onto marzipan 24 times, evenly spaced. Using a fluted 2-inch cutter dipped in confectioner’s sugar, cut out each pressed marzipan design.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave apple jelly in 10-second intervals until slightly softened, approximately 30 seconds, stirring between intervals. Spoon 1⁄8 teaspoon jelly onto each cooled cookie and top with a marzipan round*. Serve within an hour.
Notes
*Use a small offset spatula to slide marzipan off work surface without disturbing the design.
Make-Ahead Tips: Shortbread cookies can be baked up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Marzipan rounds can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in another airtight container. Assemble cookies within an hour of serving.
Make-Ahead Tips: Shortbread cookies can be baked up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. Marzipan rounds can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in another airtight container. Assemble cookies within an hour of serving.
