Food Ideas
Shortbread Week—Day 2: Lemon & Lavender
If yesterday’s shortbread recipe was perfect for breakfast and brunch, then this one is the quintessential tea time treat.
Lovely and lemony, this recipe was submitted by Stephanie Lackie from Humber College for the Gay Lea holiday cookie bake-off. It is topped with lavender for a unique taste and crunch. We also love its sugary sparkle.
Quick tip: Wooden spoons work better than plastic or metal ones to combine wet and dry ingredients—the wet ingredients stick to the wood and attract the dry ingredients as you stir.
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted (approx.)
1/2 cup cornstarch, sifted
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (about ½ lemon)
1/4 cup coarse sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped dried lavender
1 egg white, beaten
Instructions:
1 In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar using an electric mixer, for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch and lemon zest. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; stir until just combined. Form dough into a 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) thick disc; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
2 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Roll dough out, on a lightly floured surface, to be 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick. Cut dough with a 2-inch (5 cm) cookie cutter of any shape. Re-roll scraps and cut additional cookies until all the dough is used. Place cutouts on parchment-lined baking sheets; refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, combine coarse sugar with lavender. Lightly brush cookies with egg white and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Lightly press the tops to ensure the lavender sticks to the dough.
4 Bake cookies, in batches, for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Makes 48 cookies.
Tags: Baking, Holidays, Recipe, Shortbread
Oohhh…I love lavender and am thinking these would be great this holiday season.
Jan’s comment was exactly what I was thinking when I saw this recipe. Thank you
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