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–+ servings
Overhead view of scalloped shortbread cookies with a vanilla lemon glaze and pressed edible flowers on top of brown parchment paper surrounded by edible pansies and violas.
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Pressed Flower Cookies

Beautiful pressed flower cookies with lemon glaze and edible flowers. Easy, showstopping sugar cookies perfect for parties, showers, and more.
Want to see it step by step? Check out the video tutorial above.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Chill Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 42 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: Grace Armor

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Lemon Glaze

  • 1 ½ cups (170 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest (about ½-1 lemon)
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½-1 lemon)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1-2 Tablespoons milk

For Decoration

  • 24 pressed edible flowers

Instructions

Press the Flowers

  • Wash the flowers. Thoroughly and gently wash your edible flowers. Place them on paper towels and blot to dry. Let them dry completely before pressing them.
  • Press the flowers. Fold parchment paper or wax paper in half and place it between the pages of a large book with the fold near the spine of the book. Place a piece of printer paper on top of the wax paper, then place the flowers and herbs you want to use face-down on top of the printer paper. Place another piece of printer paper on top of the flowers, being careful to make sure the flowers are as flat as possible. Fold over the wax paper and close the book. Place another heavy book on top. Allow to press for at least 1-2 hours, ideally 24 hours.
    Check out how to press edible flowers for my tips and tricks for the best results.

For the Sugar Cookies

  • Prepare the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
  • Add the wet ingredients. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl again, and continue mixing on medium-high speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.
  • Roll and chill the dough. Lightly flour two pieces of parchment paper. Divide the dough in half, and scrape out each of the halves of dough onto the two pieces of parchment paper.
    Roll out each dough half to ¼-inch thick, trying to keep it in more of a rectangular than circular shape so that it can fit on your cookie sheet.
    Move one of the pieces of parchment paper with rolled dough onto a baking sheet and lightly flour the top of the dough. Set the other piece of parchment paper with dough on top, and cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap.
    Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
    Once the dough is almost done chilling, arrange the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Cut the cookies. Remove the dough from the fridge, and transfer the pieces of parchment paper with dough to the counter. Using a fluted or round biscuit cookie cutter large enough for the pressed flowers (I used 6cm/2 ¼"), cut out the cookies and place them on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between. Use a spatula to help pick up and move the cookies if they're sticking a bit.
    Once one baking sheet is full, bake the first batch of cookies, following the directions in the "Bake" section.
    While the first batch of cookies is in the oven, collect and re-roll any scraps to cut more, being careful not to overwork the dough or add too much flour. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes (or until the first batch is done baking) to prevent spreading in the oven.
  • Bake. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are just slightly golden brown. Keep a close eye on the cookies to prevent over-browning. 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.
    Remove the pan from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before adding the glaze.

For the Lemon Glaze

  • Make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk as needed to thin out the glaze until it forms a smooth glaze.
    If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk.
  • Apply the lemon glaze. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies in the glaze, allowing the excess to drip off back into the bowl. Place the cookies on a wire rack.
  • Add the pressed flowers. While the glaze is still wet, decorate as desired with the pressed edible flowers and herbs, gently placing them on each cookie. Use tweezers to gently place and tap the flowers so they stick to the glaze. Check out the video to see exactly how I did it. Let the glaze set and dry before storing the cookies.

Notes

Want to see it step by step? Check out the quick video tutorial above.
Tips for using pressed flowers:
  • Press more flowers than you think you'll need. It's better to have options.
  • The longer your pressed flowers sit out before being added on top of the glaze, the more wilted and curled they will become.
  • Use tweezers when handling the pressed flowers, as they'll be delicate.
  • Check out how to press edible flowers for all of my tips and tricks.
Maintaining cookie shape: If the dough gets too soft and warm as you're cutting out the cookies, or if your cookie cutters have intricate designs, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to prevent spreading in the oven.
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.
Nutrition facts: Nutritional information is an estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
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