We’re thinking “holiday season” should officially be renamed “cookie season” — has a nice ring to it, no? Until then, we’ll just go ahead and enjoy every last crumb of these cookie recipes by Loria Stern: pink peppercorn shortbread cookies with pressed herbs are about as adorable as things get.
This year, for our annual healthy holiday cooking class with designer, Jenni Kayne we gathered to drool over the gorgeous work of private chef and caterer, Loria Stern. We’ve been following Lori’s pressed flower and magical cookie-filled Instagram feed for some time and loved hopping in the kitchen to learn a few of her baking tips for the sweetest time of year.
For a chic and natural twist on decorated cookies, Loria taught us to press fresh herbs from rosemary to pink peppercorns right into the peppercorn shortbread (the cookies can easily be made gluten-free).
Try them yourself and get creative – any herbs you love work here, as long as you love the way they taste! Grab a second cookie recipe from Loria here!
Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks softened butter
¾ cup unrefined cane sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freeze-dried pink peppercorns
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free baking flour
Whole herbs of choice: dill, thyme, rosemary
Directions:
Cream butter, sugar, salt and pepper in Kitchen Aid mixer, then add vanilla. Mix until combined and then, in 3 additions, add the flour.
When dough comes together, pat down in between 2 parchment sheets and roll out until dough is about 1/3” thick and press your herbs into dough — dill, thyme, rosemary and freeze dried pink peppercorns were used in this recipe. Stamp out cookies, put in fridge and then bake in 350 oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Sprinkle with unrefined cane sugar and enjoy!
These stay good for up to 2 weeks if properly stored in airtight container on counter.
