Grapefruit, Rosemary, & White Chocolate Cookies
Sometimes after a long day I really want to bake but I don’t want to go to the store, so I look around my kitchen to see what ingredients I already have to make something. I love playing with unique flavor combinations, so this often turns into a fun personal challenge to create something new. Sometimes it’s a flop, but other times it’s a hit - like with these cookies! After searching my kitchen, I found a grapefruit and a partial bag of white chocolate chips. I immediately knew I wanted to pair these flavors with the fresh rosemary in my garden, and I thought a soft cookie would make a good base. The tart, herbal, and sweet flavors work very well with the buttery cookie to make for a unique but delicious flavor experience!
Adding Flavor to a Standard Cookie Base
Introducing the grapefruit and rosemary flavors into these cookies in a subtle but noticeable way is as easy as mixing them into the sugar. Add grapefruit zest and finely chopped rosemary to a small bowl with the sugar and use your hands to gently rub the ingredients together. This helps release the flavors from the zest and rosemary and is a good way to make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the cookies.
Making the Cookie Dough
The cookie dough comes together quickly in a few simple steps:
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar mixture using a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.
Add in the egg, honey, grapefruit juice, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until fully combined. The mixture may slightly curdle because of the acidity in the grapefruit juice, but that is okay.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Add the white chocolate chips and mix on low speed or fold in using a rubber spatula.
Chilling and Portioning the Dough
Put the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to handle and prevent the cookies from overspreading when baking. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
When the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and scoop out about 1 and 1/2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Baking the Cookies
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes until slightly browned. The center of the cookies will still appear soft but will continue to bake on the pan. Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. All that is left is to enjoy! Sharing is optional :)
Grapefruit, Rosemary, and White Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 tbsp grapefruit zest
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp grapefruit juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, grapefruit zest, and chopped rosemary to a small bowl. Rub the zest and rosemary into the sugar using your fingers. This will help to release the flavors.
- Add the sugar mixture and softened butter to a large bowl. Cream together using a stand mixer or handheld mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the egg, honey, grapefruit juice, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until fully combined. The mixture may slightly curdle due to the grapefruit juice, but this is ok and will go away when you add the dry ingredients.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Add the white chocolate chips and mix on low speed until combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- After the dough has chilled, scoop out about 1 and 1/2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies begin to brown. They will still be soft in the middle and continue to cook on the pan. Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. The cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
