Orange Shortbread Cookies with Thyme

Orange shortbread cookies fragranced with fresh thyme are the perfect complement to a holiday cocktail or an afternoon cup of tea. Inspired by a Dorie Greenspan sablé recipe, this cookie has become a classic in our house, especially for the holidays.

Another great holiday treat are my fig cocktail cookies or my cranberry orange shortbread cookies!

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I am a big Dorie Greenspan fan and while she is most commonly known for her baking, the first book I bought of hers was Around My French Table. It's filled with the savory (and sweet) foods she cooks while spending time in Paris.

It was in this beautiful book I learned of a buttery cookie called a sablé, similar in many ways to a shortbread. But what intrigued me the most was the savory add-ins making these little shortbread-like bites perfect to accompany a cocktail. What???!!!

Why you'll love this recipe

• I chose thyme to add to these orange shortbread cookies but the flavor possibilities are endless - make a batch to match your dinner theme or cocktail plan. I first made these orange thyme cookies to match an orange thyme cocktail I was serving at Thanksgiving.
• Prepare these cocktail cookies ahead - either through dough-making and freeze, or all the way through baking as they will stay fresh at room temp for 3-5 days.
• Make them bite-size or bigger and even try seasonal shaped cookie cutters.
• They are fun, playful and surprising for guests.
• They also pair beautifully with a hot cup of tea.
• These orange shortbread cookies are crispy, fragrant, buttery but light at the same time. As my husband said, people will take one to see what it is and then want to repeat many times over. My two kids (teens when this was originally written) gobbled them up almost before I could take the original photos!

Ingredients you'll need

You probably have everything you need in the house to make these cocktail cookies, except maybe for the fresh thyme.

• Olive oil: Use a mildly flavored extra virgin olive oil (not your best peppery finishing oil!)
• Fresh thyme: The fragrance of fresh thyme paired with orange zest is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I highly recommend the fresh earthiness of the fresh herb in this cookie.
• Orange zest: Use your microplane grater (you have one right?) to zest a medium to large orange.
• Egg yolk: Save the white to mix in to your next batch of scrambled eggs!
• Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt which is less "salty" than other brands so I have increased the amount to a full teaspoon. If you're using Morton's kosher salt, use about ½ as much.
• All-Purpose Flour: Haven't tested this recipe with anything but AP so that is what I recommend.

Let's make this recipe step by step!

(Printable recipe card is at the end of the post with ingredients, measurements and step-by-step instructions. This section includes more and larger pictures and high level explanations of the process.)

Make the dough for these orange shortbread cookies all in one bowl - I use a stand mixer but a hand-held mixer or maybe even really vigorous manual labor could get this done too!

1. Place the thyme, orange zest and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Use your hands to mix the thyme and orange zest into the sugar. This ensures the thyme and orange zest end up evenly incorporated throughout the cookie dough.

2. Beat the butter with the orange thyme sugar at low to medium speed until creamy.

3. Beat in the egg yolk until just combined, about 1 minute.

4. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until smooth.

5. Add the salt and flour and beat until just incorporated.

6. Turn the cookie dough out onto a work surface or piece of parchment paper and press it until it just comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk. (or make a log out of one or both of the pieces of dough to make slice and bake cookies).

7. Roll out each disk between 2 sheets of wax paper or parchment to about ¼ inch thick. Slide the wax paper–covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until very firm.

8. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (if making all the cookies at once). Working with one piece of cookie dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Using a 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies as close together as possible.

NOTE: You can reuse the dough remnants but you will need to refreeze the dough to work with it again.

9. Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 15 - 18 minutes, until they are lightly golden; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (If your dough is a little thinner than ¼ inch or you use a smaller cookie cutter, reduce the cooking time - start checking them at 10 minutes).

Expert Tips

1. Since the uncooked dough needs to be nearly frozen to be cut, you can also make the rolled out disks ahead of time and leave in the freezer (if you have room) for longer than the time it takes to initially freeze. I keep extra large size reclosable bags in the house they will fit in and store them for several days if that fits my schedule best.
2. OR roll the dough into a log using your hands to form it and then roll it back and forth on the parchment to aid in shaping. Then wrap the log in plastic wrap and freeze. Obviously, this take up much less space but you want get the perfect cut out look. I like both methods!
3. Play with the size of the cookies you make - for appetizers with a cocktail, I make them pretty small - almost like a quick bite or nibble.

Recipe FAQs about orange shortbread cookies

What to serve with these cocktail cookies!

I recommend surprising your guests by pairing with a cocktail or mocktail.

• On my blog the pomegranate mule or hibiscus margarita could be a fun pairing.
• Or serve your favorite orange-infused cocktail - I originally served these with a cocktail made with a clementine simple syrup, vodka and topped with a splash of champagne.
• Or keep it simple and just pop open some bubbly.
• Or how about a mimosa?
• Speaking of champagne, if you're crafty, try my friend Laura's champagne bar and make these cookies part of the presentation!
• Or for a mocktail, fresh orange juice mixed with a bit of sparkling water and perhaps a splash of pomegranate juice for a most fabulous color and flavor!

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Orange Shortbread Cookies with Thyme

Beth Lee

Orange shortbread cookies with fresh thyme are the perfect complement to a holiday cocktail or an afternoon cup of tea. Inspired by a Dorie Greenspan sablé recipe, this cookie has become a classic in our house, especially for the holidays. The dough can be made ahead and frozen so you all you have to do is bake them for your big day.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 18 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Servings 50 cookies

Calories 54 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (1 medium orange)
• ⅓ cup sugar (reduced from ½ cup in original recipe)
• 1 stick unsalted butter softened
• 1 egg yolk
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (increased from ¾ teaspoon sea salt to 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

 

• Place the thyme, orange zest and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Use your hands to mix the thyme and orange zest into the sugar. This ensures the thyme and orange zest end up evenly incorporated throughout the cookie dough.
  
• Beat the butter with the orange thyme sugar at low to medium speed until creamy and well incorporated.
  
• Add the egg yolk and beat until just combined, about 1 minute.
  
• Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until smooth and well incorporated. The dough will have a lovely sheen at this point.
  
• Add the salt and flour and beat until just incorporated.
  
• Turn the cookie dough out onto a work surface or piece of parchment paper and press it until it just comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk. (or make a log out of one or both of the pieces of dough to make slice and bake cookies).
  
• Roll out each disk between 2 sheets of wax parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick. Slide the wax paper–covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until very firm.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (if making all the cookies at once).
  
• Working with one piece of cookie dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Using a 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out the cookies as close together as possible.
  
• NOTE: You can reuse the dough remnants but you will need to refreeze the dough to work with it.
• Arrange the cookies 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 15 - 18 minutes, until they are lightly golden; shift the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. If baking two sheets at a time, your cook time might be a tad longer. Look for the color cues of a slight golden edge. (If your dough is a little thinner than ¼ inch or you use a smaller cookie cutter, reduce the cooking time - start checking them at 10 minutes).
  
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  

Notes

1. Since the uncooked dough needs to be nearly frozen to be cut, you can also make the rolled out disks ahead of time and leave in the freezer (if you have room) for longer than the time it takes to initially freeze, up to two weeks or longer. I keep extra large size reclosable bags in the house they will fit in and store them for several days if that fits my schedule best.
2. OR roll the dough into a log using your hands to form it and then roll it back and forth on the parchment to aid in shaping. Then wrap the log in plastic wrap and freeze. Obviously, this take up much less space but you want get the perfect cut out look. I like both methods!
3. Play with the size of the cookies you make - for appetizers with a cocktail, I make them pretty small - almost like a quick bite or nibble.
4. The cookies, once baked, will stay fresh in an airtight container for about 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 47mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 69IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.3mg

Keyword orange, shortbread, thyme

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