Description
Cool Mediterranean flavors dance through delicate shortbread cookies, blending zesty lemon with soothing lavender. Delightful crumbly texture and elegant notes make these cookies perfect companions for afternoon tea or quiet moments of indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.75 cup powdered sugar
- 0.75 cup cold unsalted butter
- 0.5 teaspoon dried edible lavender
Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1 zest of small lemon
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.25 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled lemon juice
Icing Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons meringue powder
- 2.5–3 tablespoons fresh or bottled lemon juice
- Dried edible lavender (for decoration)
- Lemon zest (for decoration)
Instructions
- Pulverize flour, powdered sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lavender in a food processor until uniformly blended.
- Gradually incorporate butter while processing, creating a moist and crumbly texture.
- Add vanilla and lemon juice, continuing to process until the dough coheres into a unified mass.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and gently form into a smooth disk.
- Press the dough into a lined baking pan, ensuring an even layer across the surface.
- Slice the dough into precise grid-like squares using a sharp knife, creating 25 or 36 cookie portions depending on pan size.
- Perforate the dough surface with small punctures using a toothpick to prevent unwanted rising during baking.
- Refrigerate the prepared dough for half an hour to firm and enhance flavor integration.
- Heat the oven to 300°F, positioning the rack in the center.
- Bake the shortbread until edges transform to a golden-amber hue, approximately 45 minutes.
- While still warm, re-slice the cookies along original cut lines to ensure clean edges.
- Allow cookies to cool completely within the baking pan, maintaining structural integrity.
- Whisk powdered sugar, meringue powder, and lemon juice until achieving a silky, pourable icing consistency.
- Delicately dip cookie tops into the glaze, creating an elegant white coating.
- Garnish with delicate lavender sprigs or fresh lemon zest for visual and aromatic appeal.
- Permit the icing to solidify for 4-6 hours before serving, ensuring a pristine presentation.
Notes
- Lavender and lemon combine beautifully in this delicate, buttery shortbread that melts in your mouth with a sophisticated flavor profile.
- Precise cutting and chilling are crucial for achieving perfectly crisp, uniform cookies that showcase professional bakery-style presentation.
- Using a food processor ensures smooth, consistent dough without overworking ingredients, creating a tender texture that’s light and crumbly.
- Dock the dough with a toothpick to prevent puffing and ensure even baking, which helps maintain the cookies’ elegant rectangular shape.
- Low-temperature baking at 300°F guarantees golden edges without burning, preserving the delicate lavender and bright lemon notes.
- Waiting 4-6 hours for icing to set allows a glossy, professional finish that makes these cookies look as stunning as they taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg