These delicate shortbread cookies are the perfect end to a summer meal. Light and floral, Lavender Shortbread pairs gorgeously with a warm cup of tea on a chilly summer night with friends. 

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Books

The lavender is in full bloom and the floral aroma wafts up through our windows even thought the lavender plants are more then a hundred feet away! As I make my way to work every day, I stroll by the light purple flowers and think to myself “I need to bake something delicious with lavender – soon!” And that time has come, with a classic recipe for shortbread with the addition of freshly dried lavender from our work gardens.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Books3

Lavender is an amazing ingredient, not only in cooking. It is used in aromatherapy as a calming and soothing way to relieve stress. Just crush some fresh lavender buds between your fingers and inhale slowly. Another way to benefit from its calming properties is to steep fresh lavender buds in water to make Lavender Iced Tea. Need more ideas? Wrap fresh lavender in a cloth and use as dryer sheets – beats using those chemical filled ones from the store; infuse spring water with lavender and use as linen spray, specially on your pillows before bed – it’ll make you sleep easier!

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Books quote

Lavender Shortbread

Slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour's "The Baker's Companion", these shortbread cookies will become your go to recipe for tea parties!
Print Recipe
IMG 6289
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2.25 ounces granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 teaspoons freshly dried lavender buds
  • 1 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia extract
  • 4 ounces all-purpose unbleached flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300F. Spray a baking sheet with oil. Set aside.
  • Cream butter, sugar, salt, lavender buds, and extract for 3 minutes on high speed.
  • Add flour and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
  • Make into a round and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  • Roll out onto floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll to desired thickness and cut with a small circle cutter (or shape of choice). Place on baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Let cool before serving.

Notes

I discovered the cookies to be lighter in color when baked on light colored cookie sheets. You want a light sandy color on the bottoms of the cookies, but not around the edges. Make sure to use the best butter you can find, since these cookies are pure butter and sugar. I used Vermont's finest, Cabot Unsalted Butter.
Servings: 2 dozen small cookies

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Books1

To get you inspired, below are links to some amazing recipes from the food blogger community featuring lavender. Remember that you can not only bake with it, but use it in drinks as well as part of a spice mix for savory recipes. The classic mix of  “Herbes de Provence“, a traditional seasoning in France, is made with the addition of lavender as well!

PicMonkey Collage

Lavender Scones by Roxana’s Home Baking

Lavender Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Always Order Dessert

Blueberry Lavender Rhubarb Jam by Healthy Green Kitchen

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Savory Simple

Lavender Lemon Tart by Bakeaholic Mama

Lavender Iced Tea by Food Babbles

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Books

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8 Comments

  1. I am a little confused with your measurements. Are the flour and sugar measurements by weight? I am used to dry ingredients being by the fraction of a cup. Thanks.

  2. Oh my goodness you know how obsessed I am with cookies along with my tea. Love the texture thickness and everything about these cookies if only I was not just so allergic to lavender. I even tried growing lavender in my yard, a few varieties in fact, just because, I absolutely adore it. No success with the exposure and climate here. In any event enjoy a couple for me too.

  3. These cookies look and sound fragrant and delicious. I adore lavender but have yet to make cookies with it. I have a feeling I’ll be changing that soon.

  4. Wow! I need to make sure the lavender I have growing in my garden is the culinary kind. I hope so because these cookies are fabulous!!