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The holidays are approaching! With all the rich food and sweet desserts at this time of year, a cookie with notes of citrus, herbs and spicy pepper is a lovely balance. Make a batch of these festive cookies and share at your next gathering.

Holiday Herbal Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from www.eatyourflowers.com

Makes 12 cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick (113 g.) unsalted butter at room temperature

100 g. cane sugar plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling on baked cookies

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg yolk at room temperature

200 g. flour

2 tsp lemon juice

Handful of herbs (any combination of parsely, basil, mint, tarragon, dill, carrot tops, fennel fronds)

1/4 cup pink peppercorns

Cream butter, salt and sugar using the paddle attachment on a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice and mix until just combined. Next add the flour and mix on low speed until dough forms a ball.

Roll out dough to 1/4" thick and use a 3" round cookie cutter to stamp out your cookies. Use herbs and peppercorns to create festive shapes inspired by wreaths, mistletoe and holly. Place another piece of parchment on top of the cookies and gently roll to press the toppings into the cookies. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a sheet of parchment. Use the leftover dough to roll out and stamp additional cookies until all dough is used.

Place the prepared cookies in the freezer overnight. When ready to bake, cook at 360 ° F in the middle rack for a total of 15 minutes, turning once in the middle of baking. Once removed from oven sprinkle the cookies with cane sugar. 

Transfer to cooling rack until room temperature. Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight glass container for up to a week. Cookies also freeze well and can be placed directly in freezer, thawing on counter for 2 hours before serving.