Lembas Recipe (aka Elven Bread Recipe): Spiced Rosemary Honeyed Shortbread

elven lembas bread recipe featured image

Lembas Recipe (aka Elven Bread Recipe): Spiced Rosemary Honeyed Shortbread

Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, this elven bread recipe puts an herbal spin on lembas. It balances fresh rosemary, green cardamom, and white pepper with sweet, floral honey.

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword Elven Bread, Elven Bread Recipe, Lembas, Lembas Bread, Lembas Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 142kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Equipment

Ingredients

57 grams granulated white sugar (57 grams of sugar is about 1/4 cup, slightly heaping)
113 grams salted butter (113 grams of butter is about 1/2 cup; at room temperature or ever-so-slightly softened, but not melted at all)
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used green cardamom)
1/16 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
1/16 teaspoon salt
170 grams all-purpose flour (170 grams of flour about 1 cup + 5 tablespoons)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Get out an 8.5 by 4.5-inch loaf pan.
Make the dough. Use a handheld electric mixer to cream together the sugar and butter in a medium-sized bowl. Beat in the vanilla, honey, rosemary, cardamom, white pepper, and salt. Add the flour and mix until it comes together to form dough.
Shape. Transfer the dough to the loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Score the dough into 12 servings (I make 3 equidistant horizontal cuts, and then score each third into 4 triangles).
Bake. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325F and bake until light golden, about 5 minutes more.

Notes

Storage: Cool to room temperature, and then layer this shortbread in an airtight container between pieces of parchment paper and store at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Measuring Ingredients: If possible, for precision and best results, I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients. I've also given approximate equivalents in volume, but note that those quantities are for a single batch; if you toggle on the "2X" or "3X" to make a double or triple batch, make sure to double or triple the volume measurements accordingly.

Nutrition