From The Herb Farm Cookbook by Jerry TraunfeldYield: about 3 dozen 2 x 1 ½ inch cookies
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter
4 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary leaves (Arp, Hill Hardy, Tuscan Blue, Salem and Gorizia are the best varieties for this purpose)
½ cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon into cup and level)
Remove butter from refrigerator fifteen minutes before using.
In electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and rosemary on low speed just until smooth and well mixed.
Add all the flour at once and continue to mix on low speed only until it forms a cohesive dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press into a rectangular block with no cracks, dusting lightly with more flour. (Note, if the dough seems too warm and soft to roll without sticking, refrigerate for about 15 minutes.)
With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick, rotating the dough a quarter turn each time you roll to make sure the dough doesn’t stick to the work surface. Cut the dough into 2×1 ½ inch bars or cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Transfer the cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving ¾ inch between each, and place the sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the dough to rest.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the cookies until lightly colored, not brown, about 18-20 minutes. Lift one with a spatula to check the color on the underside. It should be just a shade darker than the top. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan n a cooling rack.
Store in an air-tight container and store at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze if not used in the time period.
