Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Delight in the best lemon lavender shortbread cookies. With zesty citrus and soothing florals, these delicate treats brighten any gathering.
Servings: 24
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (80 g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 1 Tablespoon (110 g) superfine sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground dried lavender (culinary grade)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mise en place. Measure and prepare all ingredients. To grind the dried lavender buds, I put them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Lightly dry out the lemon zest by blotting it between paper towels to remove some of the moisture.
- Prepare the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- Infuse the sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, dried lavender, and lemon zest. Rub everything together between your fingers for about 1 minute.
- Cream the butter and sugar mixture. Add the butter to the stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamed together, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and continue mixing until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift the flour mixture over the creamed mixture and beat on low until just combined. The dough will be crumbly at first. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing. Keep beating on low until it comes together, being very careful not to overwork it. When it's at the crumbly stage, I typically finish forming the dough by hand, gently squeezing it between my hands.
- Chill the dough. Scrape out the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a disk about 1-inch thick, and wrap it with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge to chill until firm to the touch (30 minutes). Don't skip this step! The dough will be too sticky and soft to roll and handle immediately after mixing.Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll & cut the cookies. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick, rolling from the center outward in all directions. Throughout, move the dough around a bit, lifting and rotating it, to make sure it's not sticking. Try not to use additional flour here – the parchment paper and chilled dough should prevent any sticking.Using a fluted or round cookie cutter (I use 2 ¼ inch), cut out the cookies and place them on the lined baking sheets, leaving about an inch or two of space between. Use a spatula to help pick up and move the cookies if they're sticking a bit. Collect and re-roll any scraps to cut more, being very careful not to overwork the dough.Gently prick the tops of each cookie with a fork or toothpick until you feel slight resistance. Don't press all the way through the dough.
- Chill the cookies. Place the baking sheets in the fridge to chill until firm (30 minutes). This is important! The cookies need time for the butter to resolidify to give them the best chance of retaining their shape in the oven.Arrange the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are just slightly golden brown. See the recipe notes for important information on bake time.Remove the pans from the oven and sprinkle the tops of the cookies with more caster sugar. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
When rolling the chilled dough: If you leave your disk of dough in the fridge for more than 30 minutes, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to prevent cracking when rolling.
Cookie cutters: You can use whatever shape of cookie cutter you want here, but total servings may differ and baking time may need to be adjusted based on the size.
Why prick the tops of the cookies: This helps release any trapped air bubbles and allows steam to escape during baking, which helps prevent the cookies from puffing up or developing hollow or uneven textures as they bake. Plus, it adds the quintessential shortbread visual appeal, giving them a classic, homemade look!
Bake time: If your oven has hot spots, you may want to rotate and swap positions of the baking sheets halfway through for even baking. The exact baking time can vary depending on your oven, the thickness of the cookies, and how long your cookies were in the fridge beforehand. You don't want to remove the cookies too soon, or else they'll be soft and not have that signature crumbly shortbread texture. On the other hand, keep a close eye on the cookies to prevent over-browning. It's all about balance and visual cues with cut out cookies!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
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