Tag Archives: lavender

Sandwich Cookie Bakery & Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Before I tell you about these wonderful little gems, let me digress.  I have this little dream of opening a bakery.  It’s a fantasy really, because in reality I know I will most likely not ever do it.  The realism side in me shines brightly during these visions of grandeur.  I see the long hours, the upfront costs and the early morning hours.  So, someone else with the will can go ahead of me and follow their dream.  However, if I did open a shop that I truly believe would succeed, it would be a Sandwich Cookie Bakery Shop. Cupcakes are so seven years ago, but cookies in sandwich form are going to be popping up.  I’m convinced of it.  If you stroll around the blogosphere, it’s all about the “whoopie pie,” which people loosely tie with what I deem as the coveted Sandwich Cookie.

If you’re in the mood for a cupcake without the all too often top heavy frosting, then make some of these sandwich cookies I’ve made over the past year.

Rhubarb Sandwich Cookies with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Homemade Graham Cracker Sandwiches

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Lemon Cookies with Coconut & Lemon Filling

Make Your Own Oreos

My Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies

Tomorrow is my birthday and I thought providing another cookie recipe would be a fantastic addition to your day, especially since I haven’t added any new recipes lately.  I baked for a woman’s tea this past week through Ben’s financial company, which was a nice break from motherhood and a time to have people ‘ooo’ & ‘aww’ over my food (so easy to win me over).  And since it was an afternoon tea, I knew a butter shortbread cookie would be great; but, a Lemon Lavender Butter Cookie would be perfect.  So now to the recipe.

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookie (printable recipe)

This recipe has also been used to make the Orange Cardamom Cookies & Bursting with Delight Lime Cookies .  Both of those had an icing on top and these Lemon Lavender Cookies would be perfect with a honey glaze.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons culinary lavender
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Make dough:
Whisk together flour, lemon zest, lavender, and salt.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and cream. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Put the dough on parchment paper.

Mound the dough together and roll into a log. Once you get a basic log shape, position the dough in the middle of the parchment. Then, take the parchment that’s north of the dough and cover it over the dough. Take a bench scraper and push the edge of it at the base of the parchment covered dough, trying to make a concentric log. Roll the log so the parchment covers the whole thing and twist the edges. Refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight.

Cut and bake cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Remove firm dough. Unroll the parchment so the dough is still sitting on top of the paper. Place on a cutting board. Cut the dough into 1/8 inch. Transfer cookies to a parchment-lined large baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart.

Bake until edges are golden-brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then slide cookies, still on parchment, onto a rack to cool completely.

When Life hands you lemons & lavender!

Go ahead and finish the cliche…make lemonade!  That’s right, nothing original, but we don’t always have to be original.  And most likely, hardly anything is truly original anyway, but doesn’t mean it’s not good.  My friend Lindsey mentioned that I needed to get on the bandwagon and create a Lavender Lemonade.  Not only that, but have a Spring kickoff of food you should be making in the kitchen this time of year.

I have been reading a book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which has inspired me even more to be a seasonal eater & cook.  It’s about her family’s year long adventure of eating only food grown locally (which would also be in season).  Now, I don’t think I would ever be able to do that, but she makes some good points with the main two being how much fossil fuel is used to transport food that you wouldn’t be able to find locally.  The other point is how much better the food actually tastes (along with health benefits) when you get it farm direct.  I would wholeheartedly agree as Ben and I were talking about the vegetables he actually likes.

His thing is he will eat vegetables because he knows they’re essential, but he doesn’t necessarily like many of them.  However, when I prodded a bit more, we came to find out that a majority of veggies he dislikes are actually eaten out of season.  Now, all that to say and lemons are definitely not a seasonal, nor local thing here in Bellingham (hence why I couldn’t abide by a 100% locally grown philosophy–plus what about coffee?).  Lavender does grow abundantly in the Pacific Northwest.  However, it’s more of a summer thing.  Okay so none of the ingredients, except water, is in season or local at this point in time.  But…I had lavender in my cupboard from a local Lavender farm, so I feel justified.

Lavender Simple Syrup

I liked this lemonade quite a bit.  It had a subtle lavender aroma & taste.  I used unrefined sugar, which in making a simple syrup you never get that clear syrup.  So other than visual appeal, the unrefined did just fine and the lavender lemonade hit the spot on a lovely Spring afternoon.

Lavender Lemonade (printable recipe)

If you want a clear simple syrup, then use white granulated sugar.  The simple syrup makes more than what the recipe calls for, but just put it in your fridge to make more later.  It will keep in your fridge for 2 weeks.

Simple Syrup

1 cup unrefined granulated sugar

1 cup culinary lavender

1 cup water

Lemonade Ingredients

12 Tb lavender simple syrup

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemons

2 1/2 cups cold water

In a mortar, gently crush about 1/3 cup of lavender.  In a small pan over medium heat, combine sugar, lavender & water.  Stirring to combine and until the sugar crystals disappear.  Don’t stir and let it cook for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat.

With a sieve over a measuring cup, pour lavender simple syrup through to separate the syrup from the lavender.  Set aside.  Squeeze your lemons (I had 3) to make 3/4 cup and pour into a pitcher.  Add 10 Tb of lavender simple syrup, along with 2 cups of cold water.  Taste to see if you need more water or syrup.  I used 1/2 cup more & 2 more Tb of the syrup.

Serve by putting some ice in the pitcher & sprinkle with lavender.  Sit outside and breathe in Spring.