Ginger Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

This post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support The Speckled Palate!

Nothing says winter HOLIDAYS like rosemary and ginger together in a decadent, hand-held dessert! Feel free to swoon over Ginger Rosemary Shortbread Cookies! Not too sweet and bursting with flavor, this adaptation of a classic shortbread cookie adds savory, herbaceous elements to the seasonal cookie table. With a handful of simple ingredients, these refreshing Ginger Rosemary Shortbread Cookies are sure to become a favorite this holiday season!

When I lived in Mississippi, my mother visited every spring and helped plant various herbs and plants in pots on my little apartment balcony.

Without fail, we’d purchase a rosemary plant yearly, and every year, she’d plant it.

And every year, I’d eventually try to kill it because I got sick of rosemary-flavored EVERYTHING.

Let it be known that rosemary bushes have a will to live unlike any other plant I’ve ever encountered. And that’s saying a lot because I’ve had a lot of chances to curse plants with my apparent black thumb.

Ferns? One missed watering and dead.

Basil? Burns up in the sun every time.

Mint? Forgetaboutit.

But rosemary is somethin’ else.

Then a few years back, one of my sorority sisters mentioned something about some magical rosemary shortbread cookies she’d made.

I was skeptical. But I also wanted to try them because maybe THAT was a way to get my tastebuds to like rosemary again.

Turns out—shocker—that the shortbread cookies did the trick!

So when my friends at Sprouts approached me about participating in this year’s Incredible Bulk Bin Treat Exchange, I knew what I wanted to make: a rendition of those magic shortbread cookies, but with rosemary AND ginger.

This year’s treat exchange is similar to last. I’d make and perfect a new seasonal cookie recipe, then send it to two other bloggers. They’d send me theirs, too.

This year, I ended up with cookies from Glorious Treats and Pook’s Pantry. And y’all, they are SOOOOOOOOO tasty. (Please be sure to go check out their recipes today and bake them yourself because YUM.)

This treat exchange, other than spreading holiday cheer between bloggers, celebrates the Sprouts Incredible Bulk Sale, which runs from December 8-10. All Bulk Department items (excluding pre-packaged ones) will be 25% off during that time.

And, hey, most of the cookie ingredients below can be found in the Bulk Department. So y’all should take advantage of that and pick some up for some friendly holiday baking!

These shortbread cookies are becoming my new favorite. And I don’t say that lightly because y’all know how much I enjoy cookies of all shapes and sizes.

The thing about this Ginger Rosemary Shortbread is it’s decadent, but light. It’s sweet, but not cloying. The rosemary adds herbaceousness to the cookies without overwhelming the buttery cookie base. The ginger adds a bit of a zing and some crunch to the sugar rolled on the outside.

When a friend bit into one of the cookies for the first time, she looked at me, somewhat perplexed, and said, “They taste… refreshing?”

And they are. A refreshing cookie, as bizarre as that sounds, and utterly delightful.

So if you’ve ever wanted to try a savory cookie and are unsure about the rosemary, take it from me, someone who normally cannot stand any amount of the herb: This Ginger Rosemary Shortbread is something you’ll want to try. I guarantee it.

Also, it’s National Cookie Day!

So let’s celebrate by baking up something decadent and beautiful for the upcoming holidays.

Scroll on down to learn how to make this gorgeous shortbread! You’ll be glad you did!

How do you feel about rosemary?

Would you like to try one of these shortbread cookies?