Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Sanding or coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl
- Mortar and pestle (or spice grinder)
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
Instructions
- Prep the lavender: Lightly grind the lavender with 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar using a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder). This helps release the fragrant oils.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, lavender-infused sugar, and the remaining granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add flavor: Beat in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Combine dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
- Chill: Divide the dough in half, shape into discs, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to make rolling easier.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one chilled doughdisc to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters.
- Sprinkle with sugar (optional): If you’d like, sprinkle with coarse or sanding sugar for a bit of sparkle and crunch.
- Bake: Arrange the cookies on your prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat: Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with the remaining dough.
- Enjoy! Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tips:
- Fresh is best: Use fresh, high-quality culinary lavender buds for optimal flavor.
- Don’t overbake: Shortbread should be lightly golden around the edges but still pale in the center for the classic crumbly texture.
- Variation: If you don’t have dried lavender, you can use a couple of drops of food-grade lavender extract instead.
