lavender shortbread cookies
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3 sticks of butter at room temperature
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2/3 Cup lavender sugar
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2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender, chopped
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2 1/3 Cup flour (we prefer King Arthur Flour)
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1/2 Cup cornstarch
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Pinch of salt
Optional Lemon Lavender Icing:
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3 sticks of butter at room temperature
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1/3 Cup softened butter
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1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
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3 Cups lavender powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
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2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Cookie Instructions:
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1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt; beat until combined.
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2. Divide the dough in half. Flatten it into squares and wrap it in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour.
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3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover two baking sheets with parchment or brown paper.
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4. On a floured board, roll or pat out each square to a thickness of 3/8 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch rounds or a shape of your choice with a cookie cutter.
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5. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. Prick each cookie several times with the tines of a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a pale golden color. Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack and allow to cool.
Cookie Instructions:
​
-
1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt; beat until combined.
-
2. Divide the dough in half. Flatten it into squares and wrap it in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour.
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3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover two baking sheets with parchment or brown paper.
-
4. On a floured board, roll or pat out each square to a thickness of 3/8 inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch rounds or a shape of your choice with a cookie cutter.
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5. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 inch apart. Prick each cookie several times with the tines of a fork. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a pale golden color. Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack and allow to cool.
To make the frosting:​
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1. Cream together the butter and lemon zest in a mixer. Add small amounts of the sugar and the lemon juice, alternating and mixing well before adding more.
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2. Use a knife to spread the frosting on the cooled cookies. Before the frosting hardens, sprinkle lavender buds on top of each cookie. Serve on a plate with a few sprigs of lavender on the side for decoration.
*A note on how to make lavender sugar and lavender powdered sugar: you'll need an electric spice grinder or food processor. I grind 2 cups of sugar with 2 tablespoons of dried culinary lavender. I divide the mixture, so my grinder isn't overly packed, and thoroughly stir until it's all blended smoothly. I keep my lavender sugar in a glass jar that's sealed tightly, and try not to make more than I'm planning to use. Once lavender buds are chopped and pulverized, their oils are released and slowly start to fade with time. Using this sugar sooner rather than later provides the most flavor. If you don't care for the little flakes of lavender buds, you can push the ground mixture through a very fine mesh sieve, but in our family, we love the flavor of small lavender bits in our sugar!