Easter is fast approaching! How did that happen?? I fondly remember decorating Easter cookies with my grandma when I was young. Myself, my brother and my cousins would head to my grandma's house to be met with mounds of freshly baked cut out sugar cookies. Bunnies, eggs and lambs were just waiting to have a personal touch from all the grandkids. My grandma would make a mixture of cream and food coloring and we would paint the cookies to our heart's desire. Those are such fond memories! These lemon lavender shortbread cookies are perfect for your Easter or spring celebrations.
These cookies scream spring flavors. Tart lemon and flowery lavender combine to create a delicate flavor enhanced by buttery shortbread. Make these anytime you want, rolling the dough into a log and slicing cookies to bake if cut out cookies aren't your thing. I made these ones into cute little bunnies with floppy ears to celebrate the season. These would even be great dipped in a little white chocolate if you'd like to mix it up even more!
How to Make Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
The dough comes together fairly easily but can look intimidating when first removing the mixture from the bowl as it's quite crumbly. Work your dough with warm hands and it should come together nicely into a smooth dough ball. If you are having some trouble, you can sprinkle a little water over the dough to help it come together. Starting with room temperature butter will help this as well.
The recipe makes a fair amount of cookies. You will separate the dough into 2 balls and you can easily freeze one of the dough balls wrapped in plastic wrap for a couple months to have cookies on hand all the time! I decorated these cookies with yellow or white sanding sugar on some and dried lavender flowers on others. If you have kids, this would be a great, albeit messy, way to get them involved!
Enjoy and Happy Easter!
Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp dried lavender finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and lemon zest.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, salt and dried lavender and add to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough just starts to come together.
- Dump onto a floured surface and combine the dough using your hands until it comes together into a disc. Divide the disc into 2 and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Roll out each dough disc on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough and then transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Top with desired topping (sanding sugar, dried lavender, etc).
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookies begin to turn light brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- The dough can be frozen prior to baking.
- Make sure to purchase food grade lavender.
- Finely chop the lavender until almost a powder. You can also use a mortar and pestle.
Adapted from Ina Garten.
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