Readers of this recent Times recipe were wildly enthusiastic, and now so am I. It is so simple to make (assuming you have a food processor). Lining the pan with parchment paper is the most time-consuming part, but worth doing for easy removal of the shortbread. The results are delicious, with many compliments received when I served it last night.
So long as I have fresh rosemary on hand, I think I'll stick with the recipe as given. But I might also be tempted by one or more of the add-ins, maybe currants or mini chocolate chips.
I used an 8" square pan, which resulted in thick squares. I've just purchased a 9" square pan for my next batch, as I think I'd prefer them a little thinner.
adapted from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015820-rosemary-shortbread
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare an 8" or 9" square baking pan: Spray lightly with baking oil and then line with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang that you can lift out the shortbread when done. When doing the lining, I pressed the parchment paper into the corners and then cut out the overlap.
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, rosemary, and salt. Add the butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess. NB: Mine stayed fine crumbs, with no sticking together. Still turned out fine.
Press dough firmly into the baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes for a 9" pan, 45-50 minutes for 8." (My 8" pan took 55 minutes.)
Put pan on wire rack to cool. After a couple of minutes, cut into rectangular pieces but leave in pan. When entirely cool, lift out using the parchment paper "sling." (The cookies are crumbly, and this method, recommended by readers, helps keep them intact.)
