Lemon-Rosemary White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon-rosemary is a great flavor combination that can go beyond savory dishes, and can be found in these white chocolate chip cookies that may be some of the best I’ve ever made.

Christmas is over and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. We did our usual viewing of our latest must-see movie (which was Rouge One and yes it was my second time seeing it) and Chinese for dinner on Christmas day. Not your “normal” tradition but we’re not normal and I’m okay with that. But now we must come to grips with the fact that it’s the last week of 2016! For NYE we will be hosting a party starting with a viewing of the Ohio State versus Clemson College Football Playoff game, complete with homemade garbage plates. We didn’t end up getting any when we were home in Rochester for Christmas so we are making up for it. I’d say about half of our friends have already been exposed to our homemade version and they loved it, so I have no doubt that it’ll be a hit for the newbies.

Of course I’ll also be whipping up some kind of dessert and these cookies may need to make an appearance. They were declared as one of the best cookie varieties I’ve made all year and I cannot say that I disagree. I will admit that I was impressed with the feedback as these have a slightly different flavor profile, lemon rosemary, and as such wasn’t sure if everyone would appreciate them. But apparently I can do no wrong when it comes to cookie varieties. These in particular have just enough rosemary to give them depth but not so much as to make them savory cookies. I actually used the last remaining sprigs of rosemary growing in my garden in these (and therefore had none extra to display in the photos).

Two years ago: DIY Word Magnets

Three years ago: Homemade Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Mix

Five years ago: Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix

Six years ago: Bacon and Cheese Egg McMuffin Cups

LEMON-ROSEMARY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1 Tbsp fresh minced rosemary

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon extract

Zest from 2 lemons

3 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, rosemary, extracts, and zest until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Fold in the chips by hand.
3. Rolls 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball that is slightly taller than wide and place on a plate or tray. Cover tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight for best results (I’ve refrigerated for up to a week).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
5. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are barely golden (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Orange-Lavender White Chocolate Chip Cookies.