People usually associate lavender with two specific traits: its fragrance and its color.
Lavender is a multipurpose plant. The flower is used in many ways to promote good health and well-being. Lavender can be found in the following:
Product’s That Contain Lavender
- air fresheners
- essential oil
- topical oil
- capsules
- tisanes and infusions
- tea (loose tea, tea bags, kombucha)
- coffee
- creams, lotions, and salves
- beauty products
And did you know that lavender is used in culinary applications? Yes it is.
And you will love the flavor of lavender mixed with rosemary in these Lavender-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies.
You may be asking what does the flower taste like. Good question.
The Taste Of Lavender
The initial sensory impact of lavender is a pungent floral flavor and aroma, with subtle notes of herbaceousness, earthiness, and mint.
Dried Lavender Buds For Culinary Use
Different lavender varieties can take on additional undertones of fruit, smoke, and woodiness, making it a complex culinary herb.
Lavender is a unique herb as every part of the plant can be used in cooking. That includes the flower petals, the bud, stem, and leaf.
The flower petals and leaves can be used fresh, were as the buds and stems are used dried.
As the lavender flavor intensifies when the herb is dried, the dried buds should be used sparingly.
And that is what is done here with these Lavender-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies. Only one teaspoon of lavender buds with two teaspoons of fresh chopped rosemary.
These shortbread cookies are not too sweet and they are wonderful tasting with coffee, tea or even lemonade.
Culinary lavender buds are readily available in many supermarkets, but you can also order them online if you have trouble finding them locally.
Lavender Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried lavender buds
1 cup salted butter, softened (two sticks of butter)
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons demerara sugar, divided
Process granulated sugar, rosemary, and lavender buds in a food processor until rosemary and lavender are finely chopped, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Next, beat butter on medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer (handheld mixer okay to use) until creamy. Gradually add sugar mixture, beating until smooth.
Next, gradually add flour mixture beating on low speed just until blended.
Divide dough into two parts. Roughly shape into a ball. Wrap each part in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 3 hours.
Cook’s Notes
Definitely don’t skip out on chilling your dough before baking. This resting period helps the dough relax and hardens the butter, resulting in a more tender, delicate cookie. It also helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
Remove chilled dough from fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove plastic wrap from dough and using your hands shape each dough part into an 8-inch round long log.
Next, roll each log in 1 tablespoon of the demerara sugar.
Cut each log into 24 slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven until edges of slices are golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Store an airtight container with wax paper (optional).
This Lavender Rosemary Shortbread Cookie recipe makes 2 dozen or 24 cookies, because 12 is not enough.
Now enjoy these sweet and tasty cookie recipes.
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