I often need a sweet pick-me-up during the middle of the day, especially when the morning has been long. It would be easy to turn to a candy bar or an overly sweet baked good, but something about eating “dessert” in the afternoon doesn’t appeal to me. Instead, I gravitate towards a baked good that is more savory or has a citrus bite. These cookies are a balance of both herbaceous and acidic with a slight sweetness from the dark chocolate. The shortbread cookie pairs nicely with coffee or makes for a nice treat after lunch. The brightness from the lemon and freshness of the thyme wake me up. These cookies are also great for a light dessert in the evening or served during brunch. They are my go-to cookies to have year-round, so I’ll often make a double batch, freezing half of the dough for a later time.  

Lemon-Thyme Shortbread Cookies with Dark Chocolate 
Yield: approximately 30 cookies

Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Turning the mixer on low, add the thyme and lemon zest, then add the flour mixture until just combined.
3. Turn the dough onto a work surface and shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Using two pieces of parchment paper (or silicone baking mats), place the dough between the pieces of parchment paper and roll out to about 1/4-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, preferably shaped in a rectangle, stamp out the cookies. Place 1-inch apart on the prepared sheet pans.
6. Bake until the cookies are a pale golden color and the tops look dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
7. Meanwhile, add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwavable bowl. Microwave the bowl in 30-second intervals, stopping to mix between intervals, until all of the chocolate is melted and ingredients are fully incorporated. (You can also use the double boiler method, if preferred.)
8. Once cookies have cooled, dip half of the cookies into the dark chocolate to coat and place back on the parchment lined cookie sheets until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. Cookies can be stored up to 4 days in an airtight container.

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