Valentine’s Treats: Lavender Hearts

I have a penchant for anything lavender.

For a few weeks now, I’ve been experimenting with different recipes to see if I could make good Lavender Cookies.

I saw a recipe a long time ago in one of my cookbooks. Somehow I either misplaced or donated that book and do not have the recipe. I believe it was similar to shortbread. If only I could find it….

I love herbs and flowers in desserts. (Lavender is so versatile.) But, I did not want these cookies to taste like perfume or soap either. I used the tiniest bit and rubbed it with granulated sugar to release the oil from the lavender. I think they turned out great.

I ended up liking my favorite recipe for sugar cookies the best of all. (You can find it HERE.) I also tried Dorie’s recipe and it was good, but the cookies didn’t hold their shape very well.

Lavender Heart Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. culinary lavender (I bought mine from Penzey’s)
1/2 tsp. salt
a little milk or 1 egg white, beaten
raw sugar (sanding sugar will work, too)

Instructions:
Place sugar in a small bowl. Add the lavender. Rub the sugar and lavender between your fingers until it becomes fragrant. Set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients together.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add the lavender sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla extract.

Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides. Add half the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed to incorporate them into the creamed mixture. Scrape the bowl again and add the remaining flour. Mix only until the flour is all incorporated–be careful not to overmix or the dough will be gluey and the cookies will be tough.

Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours, overnight, or up to two days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (You don’t have to do this for plain cookies, but for these you do.)

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters into desired shape. (My heart cookie cutter is about 3″ across.)

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1″ of space between the cookies. (They don’t spread very much.) Brush the tops of each cookie with milk or egg white. Sprinkle raw or sanding sugar on the tops of each cookie.

Place in the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, depending on how crisp you want them. (I like these to be crisp rather than soft, so I left them in for about 8 minutes, or until the tops were golden.)

Let cool on wire racks. Keep in airtight containers.

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6 Comments

  1. Weehooo! Another thing we have in common! I too love anything lavender… but also rose water, violet syrup and all kinds of other flowery tastes!

    Those cookies are lovely, Lindsey!
    Very dilicate and dainty, probably just like their creator!

  2. Are these really good or are you just trying to be edgy with your lavender flavored confection?! ;-) I tried some violet candy once and thought I was going to hurl! Just wondering….

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