Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Of all the flowers to eat, lavender is the one to start with. It has a subtle sweet flavor that is not too overpowering. It pairs well with desserts, particularly ones with citrus of lemon or grapefruit. It can also be used in savory dishes where Herbs de Provence is used to season. One of the first things I ever ate with lavender in it was Shortbread Cookies. Here is a classic recipe that has been slightly revised.

While the recipe calls for “culinary lavender”, all lavender is edible but some taste better than others. English lavender in particular taste best. Melissa, Miss Katherine, Buena Vista are some of my favorite cooking varieties but all English lavenders will work.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks) at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender buds, chopped. (English varieties are best)

2 1/3 cups flour

½ cup cornstarch

¼ teaspoon salt

1.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.     In an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and lavender until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Beat until just combined.

3.     On a floured work surface, roll the mixture into a ball then divide in half, and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cool, approximately one hour.

4.     Back on the floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out each disc to approximately 3/8” thickeness. Use the plastic wrap to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Use your choice of cookie cutter to cut the dough cookies.

5.     Place the cookies onto the baking sheet and prick each cookie several times with the tines of a fork. Bake 20-25 minutes until pale golden (do not brown). Cool on a rack.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies are light and fluffy, and are great treats at garden parties, tea parties, or simply to enjoy with a cup of tea.

xo

Gina