Lavender shortbread cookies are a unique twist on class shortbread cookies! Adding a small amount of the herb goes a long way. This recipe uses just ½ of a teaspoon to give these sweet cookies a subtle, almost savory taste! They pair really well with chocolate so I like to melt a little bit and dip them in it!
I love honey lavender lattes - they've been my favorite drink to start my day with for years! I actually buy lavender syrup so I can make them myself at home. Finally, I decided I wanted to bake something with lavender and I thought shortbread cookies would be the perfect treat!
You'll want to grind up the lavender flowers as fine as you can so that you don't bite into an overwhelming chunk of lavender! A mortar and pestle works really well for this. However, if you don't have one, you can try using a small bowl and back of a spoon.
Make sure you're using culinary lavender! Some dried lavender is sold to be used to make fragrances, candles, potpourri, etc. These kinds might be a different type of lavender or it might not go through the same manufacturing process as culinary lavender.
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For these shortbread cookies, you're going to want to refrigerate the shaped dough so that it comes together and firms up. This way, you'll be able to cut it up into those perfect slices! If you don't refrigerate the dough, it's going to be soft and break apart easily. If you take your time cutting the dough so that it softens back up, I'd recommend plopping the tray of cookie slices into the fridge for another 20 minutes or so before you bake them. This will help prevent any potential spreading. You'll also want to dock the cookies (poke holes in them) before they bake so that they heat evenly!
Tips & Storage:
They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature, or a few days longer in the refrigerator.
You can, but I wouldn't recommend it! As mentioned above, refrigerating the dough allows the butter to solidify which helps prevent spreading and make it easier to cut into slices!
I recommend using high quality chocolate and melting it in a double boiler. Stir the chocolate around until it melts and then dip the cookies in! Place the chocolate covered cookies on a tray covered in wax paper and wait for the chocolate to dry. You can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the drying process!
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Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or mixing bowl with hand mixer/wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring Cups or Scale
- Mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon* crushed dried lavender culinary grade
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- chocolate optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and powdered sugar.
- Using a mortar and pestle or a small bowl and the back of a spoon, grind the dried lavender to be as fine as you can get it. Then, mix it into the bowl of butter & sugars.
- Add the vanilla extract, flour, and salt. Mix until combined. The dough might be a bit chunky - that's okay.
- Push the dough together in the bowl so it sticks together and pour it onto a clean surface. Knead it together and shape it into a block that's approximately 7x2x1.5 inches. Wrap the block of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- When it's nice and firm, cut the dough into ¼ inch thick slices and place them on your baking sheet. Gently poke the centers of the cookie slices 3-4 times with a fork (careful not to poke all the way through the dough).
- Bake for 12-17 minutes or until the bottoms are light tan. Let them chill on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Optional: after the cookies have completely cooled, drizzle or dip them in chocolate!
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