I don’t often make cookies. I think I should, but I usually like chocolate ones.
Today however, I am going to make lavender shortbreads … perfect with a nice cup of tea in the afternoon.
Yesterday I made an ‘Apple Tart with Salted Caramel Drizzle‘ and I had some dough leftover. It is a very handy dough to keep coz it is very versatile, and you can turn it into many different cookies. I also have a large paper bag full of dried lavender and I really want to use it up.
I have made these cookies before but that was a test run and I think I kinda went overboard with the lavender. The thing with this flower is that a little goes a long way. I was under the mis-impression that they were a bit old and they didn’t smell all that strong in the bag so I added a little more to the dough. However, once I placed the tray into the oven it only took a couple of minutes to realize I had made a mistake. My entire kitchen and living room smelt like potpourri!! It was overwhelmingly floral, the kind of scent one would encounter at a meditation centre or spa. So I believe the moral of the story here is to treat dried flowers as you would dry herbs … with a fair amount of caution.
This recipe is a no-brainer, but I am simply putting it out there for anyone who would like to try something new.
Begin by creaming some soft butter with icing sugar. Then add in the vanilla extract or half a pod of vanilla beans (vanilla bean paste would work too).
Add one egg and then the lavender, followed by the flour and salt.
This will make a soft pliable dough which you must chill thoroughly before you bake. Roll the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film and leave it in the fridge for 30 mins to an hour. Alternately, you can roll the dough into a log, wrap it in wax paper and chill for the same amount of time. The benefit of rolling it into a log is that you don’t need to do much else later but slice the log into discs, sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake. If you intend on cutting your cookies into specific shapes then you’ll need to roll the dough out between two sheets of wax paper, keeping the dough slightly thick. Cut out your shapes and bake away.
Your oven should always be preheated before you begin baking. Bake your cookies at 180°C for 15 mins or until the edges start to turn a light golden colour. They will be soft initially but will harden up once sufficiently cooled.
Ingredients:
- 100 g softened butter
- 100 g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or half a pod of vanilla beans)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dry lavender
- 1 whole egg
- 230 g all purpose flour
These cookies are wonderful as part of a gift exchange, wedding favors and tea parties.
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