Lavender Shortbread Cookies

(Makes 24 cookies)

Yes, soothing lavender!!  Having lived in Paso Robles for a bit, I really enjoyed growing lavender in my yard.  Lavender and rosemary love the Paso climates and soils.  They are to be found in abundance everywhere in that location.  As you can imagine, the smells were divine.  Now in Paso, they even feature during the summer, a Lavender faire where you can taste some lavender ice cream among other goodies.  So, thinking about a little desert item for our Pavilion picnickers here’s a little unusual recipe I thought you’d all enjoy. Don’t overdo the amount of lavender because all you want is a little hint of taste; too much will cause an overpowering bitter taste.  So, if you feel like only adding 1 Tblsp. fresh or 1 Tsp. dried, that will probably be just fine.

Ingredients:

1 ½ C. softened regular butter

2/3 C. white sugar

¼ C. sifted confectioners’ sugar

2 Tblsp. or less of finely chopped fresh lavender or 1 Tblsp. or less of dried culinary lavender ground with a pestle in a mortar

1 Tblsp. chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 ½ C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. cornstarch

1/4 Tsp. salt

Directions:

1 .In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the lavender, mint, and lemon zest.  Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended.  Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1 inch thick.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut into whatever shapes please you. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges.  Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.