Lemon & Lavender Cookies

I first saw this plant during our recent vacation. The purple flowers looked like miniature pineapples. I was totally clueless what it was. Even though I was curious, some how I didn't make an attempt to find out the name of the plant. It was only a few days later, while browsing a gardening book on growing herbs, that I learned that it's actually a type of lavender. Since the book is written in Chinese, I couldn't figure out the name in English. Until I saw several pots of these plants on the flower stands outside a local supermarket...the tags say "Spanish Lavenders".


On several occasions, I have noticed these shrubs with long green stalks with small purplish flowers on them. It was only during this trip that I realised they are actually lavenders. I can't tell which species it belongs to...but the flowers do look like those common lavenders or also known as the English lavenders.


I was given a packet of dried lavenders, among several other goodies, from my friend VB. It was really very kind and thoughtful of her as I vaguely remembered I have mentioned that these are not easily available here. At least for me, I would have to make a special trip just to get them.

It was almost a year ago since I first saw Mandy's Lavender Sables. Even though I have received the dried lavenders a few months back, I only managed to use them to make a batch of cookies this week.

I guess I didn't measure the amount of flour correctly...the cookie dough was rather sticky and wet. I managed to shape it into logs and left them to chill over night. When I was ready to bake them, I simply couldn't slice the dough into nice rounds...it kept tearing apart the minute I lift up the knife. It got worst when the dough slowly came back to room temperature. After struggling for a while, I gave up and gathered the messy doughs into a round disc...roll it out between two sheets of baking paper and pop it into the freezer. Half an hour later, I took out the dough and used a cutter to stamp out small heart-shaped cookie doughs. Even then, I had to work very fast, as the dough gets softer and softer as the clock ticks away.


These sables or French butter cookies turned out to be very flavoursome...very buttery with a hint of lemon and lavender. The recipe yields rather delicate and crumbly cookies that almost melts in your mouth. The fragrance from the lavender was not overpowering, at least my fear of biting into something that reminds me of shampoo or soap was proved to be unfounded. My boys, especially the younger one, love the cookies. Since this is the first time I have tasted lavender, I have yet to acquire the taste for it. I don't dislike it, neither have I fallen in love with it. Nevertheless, I couldn't resist treating myself with at least two cookies each time I pass by the kitchen counter :)


Ingredients:

7 ounces (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon dried lavender
zest from one lemon
1.5 cups & 1.5 tablespoons plain flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Method:

1. Sift flour and cornstarch, set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth, add icing sugar and beat until well blended.
3. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by salt, dried lavender and lemon zest.
4. Add the flour mixture and blend with a spatula. Mix just until flour is incorporated.
5. Gather dough to form a ball, divide in half and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Chill dough for 30 minutes in refrigerator.
6. Form each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 to 1 1/4" in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and chill dough for at least 2 hours in refrigerator or leave overnite. (Dough logs can be wrapped airtight and kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or stored in freezer for up to 1 month.)
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 170 degC. Once the oven is ready, slice the log into 1/4" thick and place on a lined baking sheet with 1/2" interval.
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set but not brown. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.
   
   Recipe source: from here.