Lavender Shortbread Cookies
A buttery lavender-flavored dough that can be made into round shapes using a biscuit cutter, or various shapes using cookie cutters. You can also roll the dough into a log, chill, and then slice and bake.
A buttery lavender-flavored dough that can be made into round shapes using a biscuit cutter, or various shapes using cookie cutters. You can also roll the dough into a log, chill, and then slice and bake.
Interesting flavor! I used "culinary lavender" (dried lavender flowers) from an area lavender farm. I wanted more of a subtle, evenly distributed mint flavor, so instead of chopping up mint leaves I used a few drops of mint extract. I used the tip from a previous reviewer and rolled the dough into two logs in wax paper, refrigerated, and then simply sliced 1/4" thick rounds to put onto the cookie sheet. I found this yielded 50 cookies, and they are plenty rich!
Read MoreSure, fresh lavender is better, but sometimes dried is all you have. If so, and if you also have a food processor, run the dried lavender blossoms around in the processor, using a normal blade. Pause every few seconds and see how it's doing. What you're trying to do with this is separate the dried outer purple flowers from the tough seedy structures inside them. If it looks like that's happening, turn out the lavender into a wire mesh strainer and shake and toss it over a bowl. Most of the tough inner seedy bits should fall through, leaving the more desirable purple flowers. Naturally, you'll have to re-measure your separated lavender blossoms to get the right quantity for your cookies. The deprecated interior bits of the flowers still smell wonderfully of lavender. Keep those plus the leftover snipped mint and grated lemon rind -- I like to spread it on a plate to dry. When you feel like having a luxurious soak, put the leftover flavorings in a big tea ball and run your bathwater hot at first to get it steeping. As for the cookies? They're very good. I think I may try softening the butter, beating in aromatic herbs, and leaving the mixture to sit for a while in a sealed container in the refrigerator. I suspect the flavor of the herbs would migrate into the butter. After letting this happen, I'd soften the butter again and press it through a strainer, then just use the flavored butter. It would be interesting to have herb-flavored cookies with no visible herbs in them.
Read MoreSure, fresh lavender is better, but sometimes dried is all you have. If so, and if you also have a food processor, run the dried lavender blossoms around in the processor, using a normal blade. Pause every few seconds and see how it's doing. What you're trying to do with this is separate the dried outer purple flowers from the tough seedy structures inside them. If it looks like that's happening, turn out the lavender into a wire mesh strainer and shake and toss it over a bowl. Most of the tough inner seedy bits should fall through, leaving the more desirable purple flowers. Naturally, you'll have to re-measure your separated lavender blossoms to get the right quantity for your cookies. The deprecated interior bits of the flowers still smell wonderfully of lavender. Keep those plus the leftover snipped mint and grated lemon rind -- I like to spread it on a plate to dry. When you feel like having a luxurious soak, put the leftover flavorings in a big tea ball and run your bathwater hot at first to get it steeping. As for the cookies? They're very good. I think I may try softening the butter, beating in aromatic herbs, and leaving the mixture to sit for a while in a sealed container in the refrigerator. I suspect the flavor of the herbs would migrate into the butter. After letting this happen, I'd soften the butter again and press it through a strainer, then just use the flavored butter. It would be interesting to have herb-flavored cookies with no visible herbs in them.
Interesting flavor! I used "culinary lavender" (dried lavender flowers) from an area lavender farm. I wanted more of a subtle, evenly distributed mint flavor, so instead of chopping up mint leaves I used a few drops of mint extract. I used the tip from a previous reviewer and rolled the dough into two logs in wax paper, refrigerated, and then simply sliced 1/4" thick rounds to put onto the cookie sheet. I found this yielded 50 cookies, and they are plenty rich!
This was a quick, easy, and delicious shortbread recipe! I did change a few things in the recipe; I didn't add any mint, I substituted dried lavender for fresh, and I added about a teaspoon of extra lemon zest. I rolled the dough into a log, wrapped it in wax paper, and let it cool in the fridge for about an hour before using dental floss to cut each cookie. The finished product was rich and lemony with just a little hint of lavender every now and then. I will definitely make these again, next time I'll probably add even more lemon zest and try another type of flower or herb (maybe violet).
Nice flavor. Nice texture. I did not put in the mint because I wanted a true lavender flavor to the cookie. I formed into logs, chilled overnight, and then sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Cooked for 18 minutes. Not as pretty but alot faster and easier. These spread out quite a bit, not sure if they would hold the desired shape of a cookie cutter. I tried to roll mine in purple sugar like the picture. Mine came out an ugly brown because the edges started to brown.
Cookies are crisp, but melt in your mouth. Probably all that butter.... I didn't have fresh mint or lavender, so I used 1/2 T. dried lavender and 1 teaspoon dried peppermint. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. DELICIOUS with a strong British tea.
These are very interesting/different cookie. A nice change from the ordinary, and what a really unique taste. I didn't have access to any fresh mint or lavender, so i used dry. These would be awesome with some Earl Grey tea, but i enjoyed them with my coke zero nontheless. I think these would be really nice for a baby shower...i brought them to work and got some mixed respnses, but personally, i thought they were really good. the only thing i'd do differently next time is to add more lemon zest ( i love lemon) and scale back on the mint. I followed the suggestion of another poster who said to roll them into 2 separat logs and then cut with a knife, that made prep time really quick and nice uniform cookies.
Loved this recipe! Made this for a get together and they were a huge hit! Only had 3 fresh flowers in my garden so I used those and 1 T of dried blossoms. Followed the recipe as is - no spreading of cookies. Chilled dough in 2 logs for an hour + and sliced them. MMMMMMMM! House smelled SO yummy! Will definitely make again - may even enter them in the county fair since they are so different. Not a dense shortbread, but one that almost melts in your mouth, very light and crisp! THANK YOU for the recipe! Oh, I did keep an eye on them and they were ready within about 12 - 15 minutes. I may have sliced them thinner. Just make sure you pull them out when the edges begin to color and they'll be perfect!
Initially I was a little weary of trying these cookies-lavender and mint sounded more like a soap than a cookie. However, I love shortbread and and decided to give it a try. I used fresh lavender and mint from my garden. Instead of rolling the dough with a pin and then cutting, I rolled these into two seperate logs, wrapped and refridgerated, and then using a knife cut them 1/4 thick (this cut way down on prep time). My boyfriend thought that I should rate them a 3, but I liked them and will compromise and give them a 4.
Oh my goodness, where do I start with these cookies, they really are so delicious. Firstly it was my first time to ever cook with Lavender (I have looked at several recipes for months but only today finally plucked up the courage to try it). I used Dried French Lavender that I brought from Penzey’s. I didn’t have fresh mint so substituted for ½ teaspoon of dried mint that I crushed down and ½ teaspoon of mint extract. I followed the recipe exactly and baked on a silpat mat. I cut the cookies and then placed the baking sheet back in to the fridge for a further 10 minutes. I topped with Silver sugar and baked in the oven for 16 minutes. The key to good Shortbread is not to roll the dough too thin and also do not overcook, once cooled they will become crisp on their own. I had no problem at all with the cookies spreading. They came out of the oven perfect and the fragrance in the house was heavenly…
I made a batch recently which my boyfriend brought to work; his coworkers offered to make me "Chief Cookie Officer". They are a big hit -- buttery and light, with an interesting flavor.
I left out the mint and added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. I put the granulated sugar and 1 1/2 Tbls of dried lavender into my blender and blended for a few seconds. I rolled the cookies into logs, refrigerated, then sliced and baked. I also heavily sprinkled purple sugar on the top before baking. Yummy!
These had such an interesting and unusual flavor, and would go so well with a nice black tea. I used 1.5 tbsp dried lavender and a few drops of peppermint extract and upped the lemon zest a kick, and they turned out very well.
I (the author) have also used dried lavender and mint. Use about half of the amount of the fresh.
These had a lovely, complex flavor that my children really enjoyed. My only criticism is that because of the moisture from the fresh herbs, these don't keep as long as regular shortbread cookies, so if you're not planning to eat them all within a day or two, freeze them.
This is both an excellent shortbread recipe and a fun way to incorporate lavender into baking. I used dried lavender because that's what I had on hand and used about half the amount. Delicious and elegant recipe!
These were great! I used 2 tsp dried lavender, since I didn't have any fresh. I also left the mint out, since I'm not a huge fan. I had to run out for a while, so I ended up leaving it wrapped in the fridge for about 8 hours. I was worried that the flavor would be too much, but it was perfect! I'm definitely going to keep with recipe as my shortbread to use in the future.
Got rave reviews from the co-workers on this one! I did not use mint or lemon zest because I didn't have any on hand. I added some lemon juice instead but it didn't really add any flavor. Next time I will be sure to use the zest. I rolled the dough in wax paper, chilled it for an hour, and cut it into slices to bake. I also sprinkled a bit of sugar on top of each cookie before baking. These cookies did not spread as some other reviewers mentioned.
These are perfect. I did not happen to have any fresh mint the first time I made these, so I omitted it. The second time, I added it. Both batches were absolutely delightful, so don't fret if you're missing the mint. Otherwise, don't change a thing about this recipe. Also, to be quick, I just divided the dough into two balls, formed them into logs, wrapped in plastic and chilled into the refrigerator. When fully chilled (about 45 mins) I cut into 1/4 inch slices and put directly onto the cookie sheet. 18 1/2 minutes later they emerged from the oven with perfectly golden edges. If you love shortbread biscuits, you won't be disappointed in this recipe.
Amazing recipe - the only thing that I recommend is topping the cookies with sea salt before serving.
Crisp and buttery and delicious! I just wanted a hint of lavender, so I decreased it to 1 tablespoon dried lavender. That was still a bit strong, so next time I might just do 1/2 T. Still good!
I made as the recipe stated but had to use dried lavender. Chilled the dough, rolled and used a small 1 7/8" - 48mm round cookie cutter. These were excellent. I wanted them small to serve with tea. This was perfect. The shortbread is delicious, the aroma pleasant and the lavender flower buds give the cookies an elegant appearance. Will definitely make again.
These were easy to make and tasty but they tasted more like chamomile tea and just lemon and lavender. I halved the recipe and rolled into logs and sliced before baking and I still netted about 4 dozen 3" cookies. I will make again but I think I'll add more lemon and lavender and leave out the mint (the mint was really good but I think it's what made them taste like chamomile).
Delicious! I would have never thought to add mint to lavender cookies- great idea!
My family did not like these at all. I followed the instructions to a T but they just weren't for us. Sorry.
These are great and very easy to make, I did use fresh lavender from my yard and had to use a coffee mill to grind it up, I used a microplane to zest a whole large lemon, and omitted the mint. I refrigerated it in one lump in a bowl and then chilled it for 3-4 hours and used the large end of a melon baller to scoop out rounds and left them round on the airbake cookie sheet without flattening them out. They came out fantastic! Very subtle, I'd probably use more lavender next time.
I think I will use more lavender next time... You couldn't taste it unless you were looking for it. Otherwise, the cookies were delicious and my coworkers couldn't get enough!
Love this recipe. I take dried lavender and put it in sugar in a sealed container and let the lavender flavor seep into the sugar for a couple of weeks, so I use dried vs fresh. But I do agree with others, more lemon zest, a little less mint leaves. But this cookie has layers of flavors as you eat it. Have come back and used this recipe a few times. Love it!
I love this recipe! Did not have fresh mint so increased the lemon zest and it is awesome!
I have tried so many shortbread recipes to find one that has the right texture, flavor and balance of sweetness. These have a nice flavor and I especially like the nice light texture. I have made all sorts of flavor variations of these with different kinds of herbs (rosemary, lavender, mint, etc.) All good.
Wow, these are interesting and delicious!! I skipped the mint and squeezed the juice of 1/2 of a lemon into the dough for a little extra flavor (in addition to the lemon zest). The lavender scent was fairly strong when the cookies were baking but the taste was absolutely perfect once they had cooled a few minutes. (I used dried lavender flowers) Anyone who likes shortbread will loves these little gems!
Received rave reviews during a lavender themed tea party that I gave.
This recipe is just fabulous. I made this recipe for Easter and my family just loved them. I used fresh lavender, mint and lemon zest and the cookes were outstanding. Am now going to make them for a wedding for the guests. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
3 stars for idea, I had looked forward to make this for a long time as I have a lavender bush in my herb garden. However, I used the base recipe for Rosemary shortbread, divided it in half and did half rosemary, half with 1 tbsp lavendar, 1/2 tbsp mint, and 1/2 tsp lemon. I didn't measure the lemon, but I know it was less than a 1/2 and I thought it was too strong. Will likely try it again without the lemon.
This recipe was very nice. I used 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp lemon zest and soaked lavender and hibiscus in it for 45 minutes, stranied and then added the liquid to the butter sugar mixture. This added a subtle twist of color to the cookie. Served it with Lavender lemonade.
Delicious and pretty. I'm impatient so I didn't chill it for an hour, but it was still fine, I just put a little more flour when I was rolling it out to combat the stickiness. I also sifted a little powdered sugar over mine at the end (though it was purely for looks, and it really didn't need the extra sweetness.)
These were fantastic. They didn't even last a day in my house.
This recipe was easy to make and turned out well. I omitted the mint and added some lemon juice. As with other reviews I rolled the dough in a log instead using cookie cutters. Will make this again!
Great flavor. I omitted the mint and used dried lavender without issue. The only thing that was an issue was rolling these puppies out. Dough is very soft even when chilled. Could use a bit more flour to hold together better.
Nice flavor however my husband couldn't get past the soap taste. He was tasting what he would normally smell. But I did enjoy the cookie with tea. Thank you.
These cookies were okay. The taste of butter overwhelmed the taste of lavender, mint, and lemon zest. I thought the taste would be more complex due to the ingredients.
This recipe really intrigued me, so I tried it. Looked everywhere for fresh lavender and couldn't find it, so I used dried lavender and cut the measurement in half since they tend to be more potent. Added a little bit more lemon zest and made a lemon/vanilla icing and these tasted amazing! The cookies tasted better the next day for some reason and quickly were devoured. Didn't really taste the mint but overall love this recipe and want to try more with this combo.
I made these for a Valentines party and I loved them! Others were a bit fearful of them as I labeled them as made with dried lavender flowers and they were visible.Made into logs, chilled and cut. Very easy. I also made half WITHOUT the lavender and mint (I had used extract) and more lemon juice and I made an icing with the juice of half a lemon and a cup of powdered sugar. These are SO tasty, very lemony, and I am enjoying them 6 days later - still wonderfully crisp and fresh. This recipe is just right as is. Thanks! I will make these again.
Used lavender from my yard...followed recipe exact except I followed some others and rolled the dough into 2 "logs" and refrigerated that then cut into 1/4" slices. I loved these! Will be adding to my favorite "summer" cookie list.
The only thing I did differently was to use lavender flowers instead of the leaves. I found the flowers at our local Whole Foods store in the bulk spice section. I used the cookies as a base for some wet-on-wet cookie decorating (Texas bluebonnets) and it was wonderful!
I made these cookies for a tea party. The recipe did not call for unsalted butter, so I used salted plus the 1/4 teasp. salt. I think overall the cookies were buttery and good and the lavendar really added a nice, interesting flavor, but after they cooled you could really taste the salt. So only suggestion is to use unsalted butter. Also, I didn't use the mint and used fresh lavendar.
I'm very impressed. Like many other reviewers, I only had dried lavender, so I used the fresh-to-dry ration (3:1) and only used 1 tsp. I also followed another reviewers tip and ground up the lavender buds a bit and strained them to get any pods out. I find that grinding them helped the flavor distribute so you're not biting into a whole flower and getting overwhelmed. As for the flavor, it's a very traditional butter cookie with just a hint of floridity. Nothing overpowering, just a nice delicate cookie.
Followed the recipe exactly. I was so excited about using fresh ingredients from my garden. The cookies only took about 12 minutes to cook, and I added a lavender flavored frosting on top. Yum!
I love this recipe! It’s easy to make and yummy! I did not use mint and I used more lemon zest ( about 1 and a half TBL). By rolling dough into logs about 11/2 “ in diameter, I made over 60 cookies using this recipe. They are bite sized and scrumptious!
I forgot to chop up the lavender, but this still came out very well. The only thing that could have made it better was if it had a more lemony taste. Otherwise the lavender could be smelled and had a slight minty taste during chewing. Either way, my roommates loved it!
Excellent shortbread cookie recipe to put on the tea table. It's a simple but elegant gift during the holiday season! Try using dark cocoa and making a hard shell dunk for one end or a drizzle. It's never failed to impress.
The cookies were good, but I prefer a more traditional shortbread. It was interesting, and they turned out fine (I actually skipped the refrigerating step and rolled the dough out and cut it into rectangles), but I don't think I'll make them again.
I only gave this recipe a three. I read all the comments, I did everything they said, I added only a drop of mint. I didn't have mint leaf. The mint was over powering the other flavors. I will make again but leave out any kind of mint! To many competing flavors.
These are were a most delicious shortbread cookie! I used dried lavender, zest of one medium sized lemon, and a sprinkle of dried mint. They were easy to make and too easy to eat! The batter did sit, unfinished - waiting for the dry ingredients for many hours. Then I completed batter, refrigerated and baked the next morning.
My oh my, these are awesome! I made them at Christmas time and didn't have fresh lavender or mint so used a teaspoon measure for each tablespoon called for in the recipe and it turned out wonderfully. I will most definitely make again!! As other reviewers suggested, I rolled up into two logs in cling film and refrigerated over night. They cut up a dream. Made about 55 cookies.
Solid recipe that's easy to follow for a beginning baker like myself.
My sister turned me onto these and I’ve been addicted ever since. I’ve made them several times now. They’re delicious served with or without tea, fresh from the oven (or freezer).
I really liked these cookies! The lavender flavor was a perfect balance, not too overpowering. I didn't have fresh mint so I used 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract, and next time I'll try 1/2 tsp. I also doubled the amount of lemon zest, and next time I will do a tbsp or more, just for a little more of that flavor. The texture was fantastic! Crisp, but melt in your mouth. Everyone LOVED them! I had seen mixed reviews about lavender cookies, so I was unsure about bringing them to an event, but I will definitely be making these again!
Lavender and shortbread, together! Lovely. I used dried lavender flowers so I only used 1/3 the amount. I'll definitely try them again when my lavender is in bloom. Great recipe!
These were very good and lemony, added the juice from the lemon.
Wonderful recipe.... i didn't add the mint and reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup and it still turned up pretty well.
Great recipe. Instead of the mint and lavender, I used two and a bit tablespoons of lavender mint tea from Banff Tea Company. I also used lemon juice instead of the zest. I couldn't get the dough to form logs, so I just refrigerated for a couple hours and pressed into my cookie scoop. It was still a bit crumbly but I got it to work. Great lavender flavour!
Easy to make and tons of lavender and mint from the garden. Everyone loved them. Would definitely make again.
The shortbread part was awesome, but I was not crazy about the lavender.
Excellent and easy. Very short. The lemon is just right with the lavender.
Like all shortbread cookies these were yummy but I couldn't discern the lavender, mint or lemon. I followed the recipe to the letter but in a blindfold test, I doubt that I would be able to tell the difference between these and my usual shortbread recipe.
I had to cook for less time at 12 to 14 minutes my oven is fast but these turned out very good very easy to make I also made a mixture of cardamom and sugar and sprinkle that on and it’s very very good that way
After two batches I figured out leaving them in for 16 minutes is better. The cookies were hard as rocks when I left them for 20 mins. However flavor is scrumptious and easy to make!
Delicious cookies. I was worried that the lavender flavor would be too strong but it was just the perfect amount of lavender. These will be part of my repertoire from now on.
I did not follow the recipe exactly, but I loved what the result I got. (Instead of two tablespoons of lavender and one tablespoon of mint, I used three and half tablespoons of mint.) Even with all the mint, the lemon was almost overpowering. However, they were still delicious. In the future, I'll experiment with more mint and maybe less lemon.
Best cookies ever, I have made them several times and they are always a big hit. !!!!!
Made as written except omitted mint. Rolled into logs and cut. Heavenly!
LOVED THEM! Except for being too fatning, they are perfect! I didn't make them as pretty as in the photo, just rolled a log and sliced, like some other folks, but it didn't diminish their flavour! Great for sharing wth friends, if you are watching your figure! ;)
I had to add more flour for my cutouts to keep their shape crisply, but the recipe was an excellent starting point. Thanks!
Very good! My mix was very very dry, however... I had to add a T of cream to make it stick together. But easy to work with and wonderful texture in the finished result. I made them for St. Patty's Day so I brushed the cookies with water and sprinkled them with dark green, light green and gold sugars before baking. Also I used dried mint and lavender, using half of the given amount.
Amazing. If you don't have fresh herbs, dried works. I used dried lavender and the dried mint from 1 herbal mint tea bag. I also replaced 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour, and the cookies are still creamy in texture and appearance.
I really like the flavor of these cookies, but I thought rolling the dough to 1/4" was much too thin. The picture included with the recipe show cookies that are obviously thicker. They were done much earlier than 18 minutes and got a little too crispy. Did anyone else have this issue?
I haven't made this yet. I am wondering how it turn out if you made lavender sugar (put lavender in sugar for a few days sealed up) and or with lavender oil.
I LOVE these cookies. They are absolutely delicious, and everyone around me loves them too.
One of the best cookies I have ever had! I added about double the mint and also a teaspoon of lime zest (in addition to lemon zest). I didn't have quite enough flour so I ended up using 1/2 cup cornmeal and 2 cups flour. I also didn't have corn starch and instead used glutinous rice flour. I imagine they are just as good using the actual recipe as with all my changes!
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