Lavender Shortbread Cookies

I love shortbread cookies. They’re among the simplest cookies to make and they’re so satisfying. I love the warm, homey smell of the cookies while baking and the delicious texture when the cookies are finally cool. That’s also why I especially love Lavender Shortbread Cookies.

Because shortbread cookies have only a few ingredients, they make a great family baking project. You can tailor the size of the dough log to whatever works for your fellow bakers. And there’s so little cleanup required with these cookies—none of that mess you get with standard drop cookies, and no rolling, cutting, kneading, rolling again with cookie cutter cookies. If there’s a more perfect cookie out there, I have yet to see it.

Adding lavender to your shortbread cookies to make Lavender Shortbread Cookies just makes them better. Lavender takes these cookies from delicious to divine, suitable for special gift-wrapping—birthdays, anniversaries, housewarming. But that doesn’t mean you need to wait for a special occasion to make them. I’d make them as soon as I could get my hands on some freshly dried lavender buds.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

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Simple ingredients let the flavor of your lavender shine through with this classic shortbread recipe. Give your Lavender Shortbread Cookies some extra sparkle with some sugar sprinkles, a little bit of frosting, or garnish with a fresh sprig of lavender.

• Author: Norann Oleson
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Additional Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 20 1x
• Category: Bakery

Ingredients

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• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender buds or 1 teaspoon fresh lavender buds

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Instructions

1. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the dried lavender into a fine powder. If you’re using fresh lavender, wash it thoroughly and then chop it finely.
2. Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour and lavender to the mixing bowl, stirring until the mixture has a crumbly texture.
4. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water to the dough and knead until the dough is just combined; it should be soft but not sticky. If it feels too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour and knead. Repeat as needed to get the dough to just come together.
5. Put the dough on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Shape it into a log about 8 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter.
6. Wrap the dough log and put it in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Unwrap the chilled dough and put it on a cutting board.
9. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into slices 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick.
10. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
11. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
12. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 to 15 to allow them to set.
13. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

English lavender works best in this recipe, and dried lavender buds will really infuse the flavor; just don’t overdo it.

And if you’re interested in growing your own lavender, check out Lovely Lavender: The Complete Guide to Growing, Harvesting, and Enjoying Lavender. Take a deep breath near a lavender field and you’ll walk away both energized and relaxed by the heady, heavenly scent of this beautiful, versatile plant. A cold-hardy, drought-tolerant evergreen, lavender is more than just a pretty plant. The culinary variety of lavender is delicious in cookies and cakes, teas and lemonades, as a garnish, and as a secret ingredient in herbal blends. Start growing lavender today with our guide.

Have you made Lavender Shortbread Cookies? How did they turn out? Let us know!