Rose Petal and Vanilla Bean Shortbread
Peels Restaurant & Bakery, NYC
These rose petal–flecked cookies have a wonderful crumbly texture and a delicate sweet, floral flavor. Chef Shuna Lydon says, “Shortbread keeps for two weeks in a tightly sealed container lined with parchment paper, at room temperature. But I prefer to eat mine fresh from the oven, warm, with strong black milky tea.”
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons dried rose petals
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 vanilla bean, scraped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Demerara sugar (optional)
Method
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and salt and cream a bit further, just until combined.
Mix in the rose petals, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds one at a time. At low speed, mix in the flour until the dough is uniform. It will be quite crumbly. Form the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about half an inch. Layer it between 2 pieces of parchment. Alternatively, roll the dough into a log and roll the log in demerara sugar. Freeze the sheet or log for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
Remove the sheet of dough and use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies. If using a log, slice it into 1/2-inch slices. Working quickly, place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about a half inch of space between them.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Rotate the sheet pans and bake for an additional 8 to 12 minutes, until evenly golden brown.
Yield
3 1/2 dozen cookies
