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Last Updated on February 27, 2025 by becky
Delicate apricot and rosemary shortbread biscuits, sprinkled with lemon-rosemary sugar. The best rosemary shortbread recipe!
Why Make This Apricot and Rosemary Shortbread recipe?
Similar to peaches but smaller and slightly more tart, apricots work nicely in a variety of sweet and savory recipes. I’m especially fond of chocolate an apricot—in pastry school we learned to make a chocolate cake with apricot compote, which quickly became a staple in my baking repertoire.
Traditionally, shortbread contains just three basic ingredients: butter, flour, and sugar. Some bakers add a pinch of salt, but that’s about it. Of course, there are lots of nontraditional shortbread biscuits out there, from chocolate shortbread to shortbread with fruit, nuts, and spices. You’ll also find chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies, like my chocolate orange shortbread cookie recipe.
This apricot and rosemary shortbread with lemon-rosemary sugar definitely falls on the nontraditional side of things. With the addition of rosemary, they’re just shy of savory. (For a full-on savory shortbread, check out my rosemary and Parmesan shortbread.) These delicate biscuits pair nicely with a cup of tea or coffee, and they’re lovely for breakfast, too.
Rosemary Shortbread Ingredients
To make these apricot shortbread cookies, start by gathering the following ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter – This shortbread recipe is all about the butter. Choose a good-tasting, unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar for the shortbread dough, and more to make the lemon-rosemary sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour – Or plain flour, in the UK.
- Kosher Salt – A pinch of kosher salt cuts the sweetness of the granulated sugar.
- Apricots – Use dehydrated apricots for this recipe, not freeze-dried, fresh, or frozen.
- Rosemary – You’ll need two 6-inch sprigs—one for the shortbread dough, and another for the lemon-rosemary sugar. Fresh rosemary is a must. Do not substitute dried rosemary.
- Lemon – To make the lemon-rosemary sugar, you’ll need the zest of 1 fresh lemon. Use a Microplane for zesting, rather than a box grater.
Rosemary Shortbread Tips & Tricks
Take time to chill out. Don’t skip the freezing step in this recipe. Freezing prior to baking prevents the shortbread from overspreading and losing its shape as it bakes.
Choose the right apricots. Use dehydrated apricots in this recipe. Fresh apricots, while delicious, contain too much moisture, and freeze-dried apricots don’t contain enough.
Use your favorite cutter. You can use any size cutter you happen to have on hand. I used a 2 1/2-inch scalloped rectangular cutter, but just about anything will work. If you don’t have a cutter, you can use a rolling pin to roll the dough, then slice it into squares or rectangles with a sharp chef’s knife.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Store rosemary shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Rosemary shortbread biscuits also freeze well. To freeze, layer baked and cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or wax paper. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Other shortbread recipes you might enjoy:
Funfetti Shortbread
Chocolate Sandwich Biscuits
Shortbread with Spring Flowers
Savory Rosemary and Parmesan Shortbread
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Apricot and Rosemary Shortbread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 24 biscuits 1x
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Tea Time
Ingredients
Shortbread Biscuits:
130 grams unsalted butter, softened (9 tablespoons)
50 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
180 grams all purpose flour (1 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon)
Pinch kosher salt
60 grams dried apricots, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, stem removed and leaves finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
Lemon-Rosemary Sugar:
40 grams granulated sugar (3 tablespoons)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, stem removed and leaves finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
Zest of 1 lemon, zested on a Microplane
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy and well combined.
Add flour and kosher salt, and mix on low until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Use your hands to work in the apricots and rosemary, and continue kneading gently until a loose dough forms. Wrap dough in clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill until firm.
While dough chills, make the lemon-rosemary sugar by combining all ingredients in a food processor, and pulsing until well combined.
Preheat oven to 190° C / 375° F. Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Roll chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a metal cutter to cut into shapes, or cut squares or rectangles with a sharp chef’s knife. With a flat metal spatula, transfer to prepared tray. Sprinkle generously with lemon-rosemary sugar.
Freeze tray for 10 minutes. (Or, refrigerate for 30 minutes if your tray doesn’t fit in the freezer!)
Bake in preheated oven until very lightly golden around the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Thank for sharing! Does it keep long?
I think shortbread tastes best within the first day or so, but these will keep for about 4-5 days. They’ll get a little bit softer and lose some of their crisp/snap, but they’re still tasty.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!