Lavender Cookies

 

Are you a lavender lover? Look no further than these heavenly homemade lavender cookies then! With just a handful of ingredients and some simple steps, you can create a batch of these delicate, buttery shortbread cookies that are infused with the sweet aroma and taste of lavender. This is an easy recipe that is sure to impress!

I always thought that lavender flavored foods would have too much lavender and frankly, taste like perfume (ick!). That's why I often ignored recipes that incorporated lavender.

When I visited the Lavender By The Bay farm earlier this summer out during our trip to the Hamptons, I felt an insatiable inspiration to integrate the amazing flavor of lavender into some baked goods and recipes! (check out my Lavender Simple Syrup & Lavender Latte recipes!)

At the farm shop, I picked up lavender extract, dried lavender buds, herbs de Provence, and lavender salt - I was VERY excited to play with this ingredient in all of my cooking and baking!

Why You'll Fall in Love With This Lavender Cookie Recipe

• The delicious lavender aroma! Lavender lends well to sweetness and gives a lovely floral aroma. It is light, not overpowering, perfumey or soapy.

• This is a buttery, sandy, and elegant sablé cookie texture. 

• Lavender cookies are sophisticated and great for bridal showers, baby showers, tea parties and garden parties (perfect for favors too!)

• These are slice n' bake cookies which makes them simple to make. You can even store the dough in the freezer and slice off some cookies whenever a craving hits!

• Just 7 ingredients needed. 

• Great for sharing and gifting: These cookies are sturdy and easy to transport, you can even ship them in the mail.

The Secret to the Best Lavender Cookies

One of the keys to making excellent lavender cookies is ensuring that your ingredients are of high quality.

When it comes to the lavender itself, it's crucial to use culinary-grade lavender, which is specifically grown and processed for consumption.

You can find dried culinary lavender at most health food stores or online (or on Lavenderbythebay.com).

It important to distinguish edible lavender from non-edible varieties, especially if you're planning to use homegrown lavender. With over 450 lavender species, English and French lavender are the most common ones.

English Lavender

English lavender, known for its sweet fragrance, is the preferred choice for cooking. Its delightful aroma makes it perfect for creating lavender-infused syrups.

French Lavender

On the other hand, French lavender, with its fuzzy, pineapple-shaped blooms, is visually appealing but not recommended for culinary use.

It has a strong and somewhat bitter taste, making it more suitable for scents and perfume oils.

Similarly, because these cookies are quite simple in terms of their ingredients, make sure to use quality butter for the best flavor and texture.

What Makes These Cookies Extra Good

This recipe is based off of a sablé cookie which is a classic French shortbread cookie that is crumbly and deliciously buttery. This cookies is perfect to highlight the lavender flavor because they are not overly sweet.

Sablé cookies hold an edge over traditional sugar cookies in several ways.

What is a Sablé Cookie?

Most notably, the texture of sablé cookies is a delightful combination of crumbly and tender, which is achieved by the high percentage of butter in the recipe.

They melt in your mouth, leaving behind a rich, buttery flavor.

Lastly, sablé cookies have a refined and elegant appearance, making them perfect pairing for the elegance of lavender, and a more sophisticated palate or occasion.

While sablés and sugar cookies may appear similar at first glance, the subtle differences in their ingredients, preparation techniques, and texture make for two uniquely delicious treats. And that's why I chose this type of cookie to use with lavender. 

How to Make Lavender Cookies

Lavender cookies are easy to make and so impressive.

Since this is a shortbread cookie, you will not need any additional leaveners such as baking soda or baking powder.

This recipe is not a soft and chewy cookie, such as lavender sugar cookies or other sugar cookie dough recipes.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you'll need:

• Unsalted Butter: This is the foundation of your cookie, lending a rich, creamy taste. It makes the cookie moist and tender while also allowing you to control the salt content. Avoid using salted butter for this recipe as it can yield a salty cookie.

• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to your cookies and helps them achieve a light, crisp texture. It also aids in the browning.

• Powdered Sugar: Also known as icing sugar, this fine sugar dissolves easily to create a smooth dough and gives the cookies a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The combo of sugars creates the perfect balance in this cookie.

• Culinary Grade Dried Lavender Flowers: These edible flowers impart a delicate and slightly sweet floral aroma to the cookies, enhancing their flavor profile beyond the usual.

• Egg Yolks: Provide richness and helps bind the ingredients together. They enrich the cookie's flavor and give it a soft, chewy texture.

• Salt: Balances the sweetness of sugar and enhances the overall flavors of the cookies, making them taste more complex and satisfying.

• Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a subtle but essential flavor that complements the butter and sugar, rounding out the cookie's overall taste.

• All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of the cookies. It provides the necessary proteins to form gluten, which gives the cookies their structure and shape.

• Sanding Sugar or Sparkling Sugar for Decorating: These larger, crystal-like sugars add a beautiful sparkling effect and a delightful crunch to your cookies. I get mine from King Arthur flour and make a stunning sugar garnish for the perfect touch!

Instructions

These cookies come together as they would any delicious shortbread, with a few hidden secrets to maximize all that delicious lavender flavor.

Start by Making Lavender Sugar

This is the key to achieving a the perfect taste.

The cookie recipe calls for ½ cup white sugar but since most food processors need more substance to mix properly, I recommend making 1 cup of lavender sugar and storing the rest for later (you'll find uses for it I promise!)

How to Make Lavender Sugar

Add the white granulated sugar and lavender into the food processor and pulse until the lavender buds are finely ground and the sugar has taken on some of the lavender color.

Making the Dough

Using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and ½ cup of the lavender sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Then add the egg yolks one by one, followed by the vanilla bean paste.

With the mixer on low speed add the flour and salt all at once and mix slowly until most of the flour has absorbed.

Finish mixing with a spatula and stop mixing once all the flour is absorbed.

Lay down a piece of plastic wrap and place the dough on top. Gently roll the dough into a long log making it as evenly as possible, wrap it up and place it in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Baking The Cookies

When you're ready to bake the cookies, unwrap the dough and place it on a cutting board.

Maintaining a round shape of the log can be achieved through careful handling and some patience.

Even with the frozen cookie dough, you can try to shape the log a bit more if you need to by using your palms and fingertips to compress the edges and form an even log.

Slice the cookies in ¼ inch slices and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Next, you'll want to top the cookies with a generous amount of sparkling sugar.

Adding sparkling sugar to the tops of these lavender cookies not only enhances their visual appeal, but it also provides a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender crumb of the shortbread.

The sugar glistens under light, giving a festive look to the cookies, making them ideal for special occasions or gift-giving.

To apply, simply sprinkle the sugar onto the cookie dough just before baking, pressing lightly to ensure it adheres.

As the cookies bake, the sugar will form a crisp, sweet crust that complements the subtle floral notes of the lavender.

How to Tell When Your Cookies Are Done Baking

Determining when shortbread cookies are done baking can be slightly tricky as dark browning indicate over baked cookies (and the more butter you have, the browner they get!)

Instead, they should stay a mostly pale, buttery color, which can sometimes make them appear undercooked. The key is to look for a slightly golden edge around the bottom, a telltale sign that they are done.

You can also gently touch the top of a cookie – if it feels set and not doughy, the cookies are ready.

It's important not to overbake them, as the delicate, tender texture is part of what makes shortbread cookies so delightful. Remember that they will continue to harden as they cool completely on the baking sheet.

Tips For Success

• Do not over mix the dough. Over mixing can produce tough cookies.

• Never over bake! This cookie is very butter heavy and can over-cooked quite quickly. Always watch them closely when they're baking. Once browned edges begin to appear, pull them from the oven.

When preparing the dough for slicing, there are several key tips to keep in mind:

1. Chilling the Dough: It's crucial to chill your dough before slicing. This solidifies the fats in the dough, making it easier to slice and ensuring the cookies maintain their shape while baking.

2. Even Slicing: Try to cut the cookies into even thicknesses. This will ensure they all bake at the same rate.

3. Sharp Knife: Use a sharp knife to reduce the chances of squishing or distorting the dough while cutting.

4. Freezer Storage: If you're not baking all the cookies right away, you can store the dough log in the freezer. Just slice off what you need each time, returning the remainder to the freezer.

5. Spacing: Space the cookies evenly on the baking sheet, as they will spread a bit while baking. Usually, an inch or two between cookies is sufficient.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can ensure that the slices come out perfect every time!

Variations

Since lavender pairs well with a few other flavors, try mixing up these lavender cookies recipe by adding your own twist!

We talked about how well lavender pairs with lemon, so try adding a tablespoon of lemon zest to the dough. Or make a quick icing with powdered sugar and lemon juice to drizzle onto the baked cookies; now you have lemon lavender cookies!

Or, while preparing the lavender sugar, add in a teaspoon of earl grey tea (whole leaves) to create lavender earl grey cookies.

Dip or drizzle these cookies in white chocolate for an extra special touch.

Instead of rolling the dough into a log, roll the dough out flat and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.

Ingredient Substitutions

Can't get your hands on dried lavender?

Lavender extract is a great substitute for lavender buds, so if you can't find it dried lavender, extract will work.

About Lavender Extract

Lavender extract may be more easily accessible than dried lavender buds. You can find it in an array of locations.

The liquid is derived from lavender plant flowers and generally contains lavender oil, lavender buds, water, and alcohol. Lavender extracts are less powerful than lavender oils and are therefore used for cooking and baking.

Local grocery stores often carry lavender extract in the baking or spices aisle, especially those that offer a more extensive range of flavorings.

Specialty food stores or gourmet cooking shops are also excellent places to find lavender extract. You could also find it on Amazon.

Always remember to choose a culinary-grade extract, which is safe for consumption and offers the best flavor for baking and cocktails.

Lavender extract's flavor is delicate and the aroma make it a great addition to many different kinds of desserts such as cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and frostings. It's a great extract to have on hand!

As always for best results, use culinary-grade lavender extract and follow the amount recommended in your recipe. Never use a lavender oil that is meant for fragrances or essential oils.

Making Gluten Free Cookies

While I haven't made a GF version of these cookies, this recipe will work will using a 1:1 all purpose flour substitute such as King Arther 1:1 Gluten Free Flour.

What to Serve with Lavender Cookies

Lavender shortbread cookies are a wonderful treat to serve at a variety of occasions.

For an elegant afternoon tea party, arrange the cookies on tiered cake stands and add some floral touches like lavender sprigs or edible flower petals.

Or for a bridal shower, display the cookies in glass jars alongside other delicate desserts such as macarons and tea cakes.

The cookies are also a great addition to baby showers and other celebrations. Wherever you serve them, lavender shortbread cookies are sure to be a hit!

If you want to go all out on the lavender flavor...

Try making some lavender lemonade using homemade lavender simple syrup.

They would also go well with my lavender latte recipe!

Other beverages to pair with these buttery floral cookies include champagne, iced tea, hot tea, espresso, or an digestif such as limoncello.

Actually, any lemon flavored dessert or drink will be the perfect match for the lavender flavors of these cookies!

Storage

These lavender cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

To ensure that your cookies remain fresh and delicious, try to keep them away from heat sources like direct sunlight or extremely hot temperatures, as this can cause the butter in the dough to melt and affect the texture of the cookies.

Can I Freeze Lavender Cookies?

Yes, you can! The cookies may change in texture slightly by becoming a bit softer.

For best results, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap before placing them into an airtight container or zip lock bag and freezing for up to three months.

Just be sure to thaw the cookies at room temperature before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use Fresh Lavender In Baking?

Yes, you can although the strength of the flavor may be different from what was developed for this recipe.

If you'd like to use fresh lavender, you can use 3 teaspoons fresh lavender florets, or ¼ teaspoon lavender extract.

What Part of Lavender is Edible?

When using lavender buds in baking or cooking, you only want to use the flower petals or buds of the lavender plant. Don't use the stems or the leaves.

How Much Lavender Extract for Baking?

Typically, you can use up to 1 teaspoon of lavender extract for every 2 cups of flour used, which fits perfectly for this recipe.

Making lavender cookies is a wonderful way to add a touch of elegance and whimsy to your baking.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Italian Wedding Cookies

Lemon Cooler Cookies

Checkerboard Cookies

Soft Butter Cookies

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