Lime Rosemary Wreaths (Day 4)

Name: Lime Rosemary Wreaths (Day 4)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 min
Ingredients: 1 Vanilla spiced cookie dough recipe; 1 Lime (zest); 2 tsp Rosemary (finely chopped); 4 Rosemary sprigs (leaves thorn apart); 1 cup Boiling water; 1/2 cup Castor sugar; 1 cup Icing sugar; 1 tbsp Lime juice; Red Royal icing (dried cranberries/cherries)

Cookie wreaths flavored with lime zest and rosemary. Topped with a lime icing and sugared rosemary. They are simple to make and so cute and festive.

Welcome to day 4 of my 12 Days Of Christmas Cookie Series. We are keeping things fresh with the addition of zesty lime and herby rosemary. This combination might sound odd to add into a sweet cookie but trust me, it is so yummy! We will make sugared rosemary that gets crystalized and crispy. We will also make a lime icing that sets hard. These are no fuss cookies that are simple to make to mention very pretty to look at.

What ingredients do we need to make these Lime Rosemary Wreaths?

Cookies –

The cookie dough used to make this recipe is my no fuss Vanilla Spiced Sugar Cookie, it was the foundation recipe for day 1 of my 12 Days Of Christmas Cookie Recipes. To flavor the dough I used lime zest and rosemary that is finely chopped.

Rosemary –

We need the rosemary for the cookie dough and the sugared rosemary as well. It is very herby and savory so a little goes a long way. You can use thyme instead of rosemary if you need a substitute.

Lime –

The lime here is essential, we need the zest in the cookie dough and the juice in the icing. You could get away with lemon but the flavor will be totally different.

Sugared rosemary –

We need castor sugar, hot water, rosemary sprigs. This component might sound like its to complicated but believe me it is not. You can use fresh rosemary on the cookie but the effect is just not the same.

Lime Icing –

We need icing sugar and lime juice to make this icing. This icing makes the wreath look like it is covered in snow. Which is so festive and pretty. You could use the royal icing recipe but thin it down a little with some lime juice and the recipe is very stiff and we want to dunk the cookie into the icing.

What equipment do you need to make these Lime Rosemary Wreaths?

To mix the cookie dough together we need a bowl and spatula. We also need cling wrap and a rolling pin to roll out the cookies. I use two round cookie cutters with two different shapes, one larger than the other to create that wreath effect and look. They are linked here. You can use two glasses or different sizes. To make the sugared rosemary we need a sauce pot and a baking tray. As for the icing, I mix it in a bowl I will use to dunk and ice the cookies.

How to make these Lime Rosemary Wreaths?

We start by crumbling the prepared cookie dough into a bowl, add the lime zest, rosemary and mix well until combined. I use a rubber spatula to mix this together. Roll the dough between two sheets of cling film fairly thick, I like the cookies to be 1/4 inch thick. Dunk the cookie cutters in flour before cut out the circle shapes. Transfer to a baking tray. You don’t need to keep too much space between them as they don’t spread much. Bake at 170℃ for 8-10 mins until the edges are a little colored and the top is dry to touch. Since they are hollow cookies, they burn fast so keep an eye on them and remember, they will firm up as they cool down. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before icing.

While they are cooling down, let us make the sugared rosemary by boiling water. Cut the rosemary sprigs into smaller pieces but keeping the leaves whole and not chopping them. Dunk the segmented leaves into the hot water and stir around for a couple of minutes. Strain out the water and toss the wet rosemary pieces into castor sugar thoroughly. Shake of the excess sugar on each piece and let them dry out on a baking tray. It will take 10-15 mins since they are small pieces. Watch how I made them here. To make the icing we mix the icing sugar and lime juice until it is lump free and thick.

How to design these Lime Rosemary Wreaths?

Dunk each cookie in the icing and leave them on a wire rack, allowing the excess icing to drip off. While the icing is still wet add the sugared rosemary pieces onto the cookie so that they stick. Dot with some red royal icing – find my recipe linked here. You could could small pieces of dried cranberries and cherries instead of the royal icing. And let it set for 10-15 mins before serving.

How to store these Lime Rosemary Wreaths?

Once the cookies are iced I would recommend storing them in an air tight jar, at room temperature for a week. The cookies that are not iced can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. They might get a little soft if stored longer. You can toast them in the oven for 1-2 mins and let them cool down, as long as they are not iced. Iced cookies cannot be reheated.

Pro Tips for the perfect Lime Rosemary Wreaths

Cookie dough –

The cookie dough must be fridge cold before you crumble and mix in the lime and rosemary. This will ensure your dough doesn’t get too soft.

Rolling the dough –

I would recommend rolling the dough between two sheet of cling film, this will help ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the surface and you get clean edges with every cookie that is cut.

Do not over bake –

These cookies have a hollow center, hence I would recommend you do not over bake them since they will bake fast. They will firm up as they cool down so it they are a little soft when they come of the oven it is fine.

Sugared rosemary –

You can make these ahead of time and use it in your desserts, drinks and table garnishes over the holidays.

These areas addictive and delicious but they are very cute and festive. Simple with a little decoration to make them perfect for the holidays. Now that we have covered how to make these Lime Rosemary Wreaths, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.