Description
These buttery lemon lavender cookies are delightfully crumbly and addictive, featuring the bright aroma of lemon zest and delicate dried lavender. Finished with a zesty lemon icing drizzle, these shortbread-style cookies are made with just a few simple ingredients and offer a sophisticated European-inspired treat.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender, chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
Icing
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar: In a bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to cream together the granulated sugar and softened butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating the base for your cookie dough.
- Add lemon zest and lavender: Stir in the lemon zest and chopped lavender to infuse the dough with bright citrus and floral flavors, mixing until evenly distributed.
- Incorporate flour: Gradually add the flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough comes together and holds its shape without being too sticky.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 1 hour to firm up, which will make it easier to roll out and cut the cookies.
- Preheat and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Roll out dough and cut cookies: Lightly flour a clean surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough to your desired thickness, approximately 1/4 inch. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. For smaller cookies, use a 2-inch cutter to get about 12 cookies. Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 8 minutes or until the edges turn slightly golden, indicating they are perfectly baked with a crumbly texture.
- Make lemon icing: In a small ramekin, whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth to create a glossy, tangy icing.
- Drizzle icing and garnish: Once the cookies have cooled slightly, drizzle the lemon icing over each cookie. Optionally, sprinkle a bit more lavender on top for decoration and added aroma.
Notes
- For best flavor, use fresh lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and helps maintain the cookie shape during baking.
- If you prefer a stronger lavender flavor, increase the dried lavender to 1.5 teaspoons but avoid overpowering the lemon notes.
- The high oven temperature helps achieve a crisp texture while keeping cookies tender inside.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Make sure not to overbake, as these cookies are meant to be crumbly and tender, not hard.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European, French
