My Turquoise Bag

Of all of the content I’ve written on my blog, I have no doubt that “lavender” has been featured and tagged on here the most. I’ve talked about how good it smells, how lovely it looks and how it provides soothing wellness. Now I’m here to talk about how wonderful it tastes.

Over the past years, I’ve casually dabbled with using lavender in food and beverages. My first attempt was these lavender shortbread cookies that I made two Easters ago for a family gathering. They were such a big hit that I recently made them again for an intimate Afternoon Tea with my girlfriend (yes, another one!), which I found to be a fitting flavour for Spring.

What I love about these cookies is that the lavender flavour isn’t overpowering at all, so don’t worry,  it will not taste like you’re eating soap.  The buttery and honey texture of the shortbread dominates the taste, but then your palate is greeted with a subtle and elegant aroma of lavender.

And don’t even get me started on how delicious your kitchen will smell when the fragrant baked goodness start seeping from your oven. You’ll wish it came in a bottle.

For a flavour combo that seems complex, the recipe is actually incredibly simple. It’s your basic shortbread cookie recipe + lavender. I get my lavender from The Spice Trader and it’s always been great quality, but you can also find lavender at Bulk Barn.

Aside from the lavender, the honey and the lemon zest really tie in the flavour. They just  work so well together. You can use any type of honey for this recipe, but since I had lavender honey on hand (of course I did), I thought it was perfect to use for this recipe.

I think using lavender in food is an elegant way to enhance a basic recipe, like shortbread cookies, coffee cake, muffins, ice cream and even salads (mix it with oregano or thyme or mint – so refreshing!).

These are a quintessential Springtime treat, and they really were perfect to add to an Afternoon Tea spread. It can also be a great idea for a bridal shower party favour or a gift idea when packaged beautifully.

These cookies are insanely buttery and don’t leave a crumbly mess when you bite into them. You get a clean, crisp interior that simultaneously melts in your mouth. Beware: these cookies are too easy to eat.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons dried or fresh lavender
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and lavender.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, mix butter, honey, vanilla, lemon zest and confectioners’ sugar until creamy and smooth.
3. Add the dry ingredients, and fold with rubber spatula until well combined.
4. Transfer dough out onto a clean flat surface and roll to form a log (or two). Cover and roll each log into a parchment paper and store in refrigerator to chill until firm, about 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. (You can also freeze the dough, wrapped in saran wrap).
5. Once log is firm, preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Cut the log of dough into 1 and 1/2 inch slices.
7. Place the slices on baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, and bake 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Note: This recipe yields approximately 68 cookies. If you don’t need to make that many cookies, split your dough into two logs and freeze the second log wrapped in parchment paper and saran wrap, to use for another time. For reference, one log will yield approximately 34 cookies.