Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Cointreau Glaze

Elegant, buttery, and beautifully aromatic: these Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with a glossy Cointreau glaze are a refined twist on a holiday favourite. Infused with orange zest, a hint of rosemary, and a touch of orange liqueur, they strike a perfect balance between citrus brightness and buttery richness – festive cookies that feel both classic and sophisticated.

Hey, folks – I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the coziness of the season!

Today, I am happy to share with you a recipe for these Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Cointreau Glaze. They are the kind of Christmas cookies that turn simple ingredients into something special. The combination of rosemary and orange adds warmth and fragrance, while the Cointreau glaze brings that subtle boozy sparkle perfect for holiday gatherings and gifting. So let’s dive into them!

Why You’ll Love These Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

• Festive and fragrant: The combination of orange zest, fresh rosemary, and Cointreau creates a sophisticated holiday aroma.
• Buttery and delicate: Classic shortbread texture – crumbly, rich, and melt-in-your-mouth.
• Perfectly balanced: Sweet, citrusy, and herbal without being overly sweet or heavy.
• Make-ahead friendly: You can prepare both the dough and glaze in advance, ideal for Christmas baking schedules.
• Giftable: Their glossy glaze and subtle orange hue make these cookies beautiful for edible holiday gifts or dessert platters.

Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Cointreau Glaze: Flavour and Texture Profile

These Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies are crisp at the edges and tender in the centre, offering a lovely balance of butter, citrus, and herbs. The rosemary brings a light savoury note that makes the sweetness more refined, while the orange zest and liqueur add brightness and festive warmth. The Cointreau glaze adds a smooth, fragrant layer that catches the light – a perfect holiday finish.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

For the Shortbread:

• Butter: Softened unsalted butter gives the cookies their signature buttery crumb.
• All-purpose flour: The structure base for perfect shortbread consistency.
• Corn starch: Helps create that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Icing sugar: Keeps the shortbread smooth, tender, and delicately sweet.
• Cointreau or Triple sec: Brings a light boozy twist and subtle orange aroma.
• Orange zest: Adds bright citrus notes and festive colour.
• Fresh rosemary: Provides gentle herbal warmth that pairs beautifully with orange.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavour depth.

For the Cointreau Glaze:

• Icing sugar: The foundation for a silky, glossy glaze.
• Cointreau or Triple sec: Adds a fragrant, festive flavour and a hint of warmth.
• Cream: Softens the glaze and adds smoothness.
• Garnish (optional): Finish with rosemary sprigs, orange zest, or dehydrated orange slices for a holiday touch.

Possible Additions and Variations

Although these Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies are already delicious, you can always customize them:

• Chocolate finish: Drizzle with dark or white chocolate once the glaze sets.
• Nutty accent: Sprinkle with crushed pistachios or almonds for texture and colour.
• Non-alcoholic option: Replace the liqueur with orange juice or extract for a family-friendly version.

More Festive Christmas Cookies

Are you looking for more festive Christmas cookies? Be sure to check more recipes:

• Soft Ginger Christmas Cookies with Orange Clove Glaze
• Chocolate Chestnut Shortbread Cookies – A Luxurious Christmas Bake
• Cranberry Rosemary Christmas Shortbread Wreath Cookies
• Festive Spiced Shortbread Cookies for Santa
• Orange Clove Christmas Cookies – Festive Spiced Shortbread

I’d love for you to try these Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Cointreau Glaze. If you give the recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

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Festive Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Cointreau Glaze

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Cookies, Christmas, Christmas CookiesDifficulty: Easy

Orange Rosemary Shortbread Cookies with Cointreau glaze – buttery, festive holiday cookie perfect for Christmas gifting or entertaining.

Servings

20-25

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Cooling / glaze setting

1

hour

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Orange Rosemary Shortbread

• 170 g. (¾ cup) butter, softened

• 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. (6-9 g) orange zest

• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. (1-2 g) minced fresh rosemary

• 1/2 tsp. (3 g) salt

• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) Cointreau or another Triple sec

• 2 tbsp. (15 g) icing sugar

• 5 tbsp. (40 g) corn starch

• 1 and 1/2 (to 1 and 1/3) cup all-purpose flour (160–180 g)

• Cointreau Glaze

• 1 and 1/4 cups (15o g) of icing sugar

• 3-4 tbsp.(45-60 ml) Cointreau liquor or another Triple sec

• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cream (10, 18 or 35%) – or substitute another spoon of liquor

• extra rosemary and orange zest (or dehydrated oranges) for garnish, optional

Directions

• In a bowl, using a mixer, cream the butter, icing sugar, orange liquor, and salt on medium speed, 2 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and corn starch and mix with a spoon or spatula until the mixture starts to remain dough. The dough might be quite sticky, so you could just with a little of extra flour.
• Stir in the rosemary and orange zest and mix until just incorporated (Don’t overmix.) Chill the dough for 10 minutes while preheating the oven.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (~175 degrees C).
• Roll the dough out with a rolling-pin about 7-8 mm thick (about ¼–⅓ inch). You may go with up to 1 cm thick (slightly less than 1/2 inch), but the baking time will increase. If the dough feels too moist, dust with a little of flour. Cut cookies using cookie cutters of your choice. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet(s).
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes (depending on size) or until edges are lightly golden. (Because the addition of alcohol, it takes a bit longer to bake them than other shortbread recipes.) Remove from oven and completely cool.
• For the glaze in a small bowl whisk together the icing sugar, Cointreau, and cream until smooth and thick enough. You can easily adjust the consistency by adding more icing sugar or liqueur / cream.
• Quickly dip the cookies into the glaze and shake off the excess of it. Garnish them if desired. let the cookies fully set and enjoy!

Notes

• If you have some dehydrated oranges, you can finely chop few rings and use instead of orange zest. The cookies will be more flavourful, and it would also add a little chewy element.