There are a few special men in my life who deserve the title of “Cookie Monster.”
My darling hubby, Brian, my dear old dad, and I recently discovered a traveling companion, Wes, is quite the cookie lover. Quite.

I’m not as fond of the sweet stuff myself, unless it comes in the form of fresh fruit and nut butter (oh, and then there’s Bailey’s Irish Cream, of course).
I like savory. I really like savory.
And, I like lemon.

Although I did have my fair share of Samoa Girl Scout cookies growing up, these days I tend toward the less sweeter fare – shortbread.

I’ve always been a fan of Walker’s Shortbread. It’s really the best on earth.
Until now.
I’ve been toying with a few different shortbread recipes over the last year and I believe I’ve hit the jackpot with this less sweet and a bit more savory version.

It’s utterly delightful, to say the least.

Lemon Rosemary Fig Shortbread Bars

2 sticks butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (use coconut oil for a vegan version)
1 cup powdered sugar
zest of 1 fresh lemon
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup dried figs, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour

Combine all the ingredients together and mix well.
Line a small square baking dish (smaller for thicker bars, larger for thinner cookies) with parchment paper. Transfer the shortbread dough to the baking dish and even out the top with a spatula. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the shortbread for about 45-60 minutes (the thicker the cookie bars, the longer the need to bake). Once a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown, you’ll know the shortbread is ready.

Cool thoroughly before cutting into bars.