Well, I am letting out a well kept secret. To my personal girlfriends and colleagues who follow me here, take note.
Here are the legendary lemon lavender cookies that are a main attraction on my cookie plates over the holidays.
This is based on a Better Homes and Gardens recipe I have had for years. That recipe was more of a soft, buttery shortbread. It is loved by many and I am sure you can find it somewhere in the bowels of BHG’s sprawling website.
But these are lighter, with a more lemon punch. Why?
Well.
I made a math mistake.
I did. I admit it. I always double the batter, and I messed up the doubling.
(I’m a creative chick. Math was never a core competency.)
And when I realized it, I had to make even more adjustments. And after they were frosted and done, I liked them a lot. They are lighter with a crispiness to them. And the lemon juice gives them a brighter finish. I also used my dried garden lavender for these, which is French versus English. It has a milder, less astringent flavor profile. And well, because I love my homegrown French lavender, I bumped up that amount, too
These are good any time of year. In fact, I am going to make a batch for Easter, too.
Well, there you go, a secret recipe.
Don’t get used to it. 😉
Lemon Lavender Crispettes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp. dried French lavender buds
3 cups flour
2 tsp. fresh grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp. water, as needed
Frosting:
4 Tbsp. well softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk or cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. dried French lavender buds, crushed and rubbed up in your hands
Directions:
In a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind up the flowers for batter until a fine powder. Set aside.
Sift the flour with the salt, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350Ëš. Whip the butter until creamy, then add the sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, lavender and mix well. With the mixer on low, add the flour until well combined. Add the water, a little at a time, until the dough is just able to be shaped into a 12 ” long log, about 2-3″ in diameter. You should be able to roll out 1-3 logs. Wrap them in parchment, and chill for a couple of hours, or freeze over night.
Prepare the frosting before baking. Whip the butter until creamy, then whip in the sugar. As you are whipping it, add the vanilla and milk/cream until smooth, thick and creamy. You may need more than the tablespoon to get it to the right consistency. Add the crushed lavender flowers and mix well. Set aside.
Line baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Slice up the cookie log into 1/4 inch slices with a serrated knife. Place them on a cookie sheet, a couple inches apart. Bake about 8 min. or so, just until the edges are starting to brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for a couple minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, frost with a thin layer of frosting. Feel free to use a few extra crushed buds for garnish on top. Store the cookies in an airtight container between sheets of parchment paper.
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