Dog Days and Rosemary Lemon Icebox Cookies

It’s been a long, hot summer and it’s only July. But as anyone who’s been plagued with temperatures that sound like numbers on the FM radio dial can attest, “hot” doesn’t do it justice.

Sweltering? Torrid? Oppressive? It’s the kind of heat that makes you snap, “stop touching me!” when your beloved caresses your thigh, your sweaty–not “glistening”–thigh.

I’m not one for talking about the weather. I like to dig a little deeper than “nice day,eh?” even in casual conversations. But when record-setting temperatures hit the three digit mark for days at a time, and are accompanied by muggy air so hot and thick it weighs heavy on my lungs, causing me to wince with every inhalation, well, it’s hard to talk about anything but the weather.

In the 1800s these “dog days” of summer were popularly believed to be an evil time:

“The Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies.” (John Brady, Clavis Calendaria, 1813)

Sour wine and no air-conditioning? Evil times indeed.

Maybe a heat-induced “phrensy” is to blame for my recent kitchen antics. Why else would I fire up the oven on one of these dog days? Before you begin to speculate on my mental state, you should know that it was for a good cause–cookies, buttery and crisp, sweet but ever so savory, and brightened by a generous amount of fresh lemon zest. They’re the kind of cookies that catch you by surprise, like the naughty librarian, all buttoned up and plain Jane on the plate, but layered with flavors that unfold rather than burst. These rosemary lemon cookies are perfect on their own, but on a sweltering dog day of summer it’s hard to resist a vanilla ice cream sidecar.

Rosemary Lemon Icebox Cookies

Adapted from Martha’s recipe for Icebox Butter Cookies in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
zest of one lemon
1/3-1/2 cup granulated or raw sugar for rolling the edges (optional)

Preparation

1. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour, rosemary, and lemon zest and mix on low just until the flour is completely incorporated.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl. Working on parchment or waxed paper, form the dough into 2 logs about 1 1/2-inches in diameter, wrap, and chill until firm or overnight. (The dough also freezes well for up to two months.)
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
4. Roll dough logs in remaining sugar, coating them evenly, and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place about 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake until golden brown on the bottoms, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 4-5 dozen.

Now that you’ve got the oven on, whip up a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies too.