Lemon Lavender Cookies: Recipe and Baking Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: May 13, 2022 • 3 min read
These lemon lavender cookies combine floral notes of dried lavender buds and zesty lemon flavor in a base of buttery shortbread cookie dough. Instead of making basic sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies for your next gathering, try this simple recipe instead.
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What Are Lemon Lavender Cookies?
Lemon lavender cookies are a type of shortbread cookie featuring lemon zest and dried lavender flowers. Since Medieval times, people have used the term “short” to describe pastries that get their flaky texture from butter or lard. For hundreds of years, bakers have followed the 3:2:1 ratio of flour to butter to sweetener to make shortbread cookies.
Whether you choose to enjoy these butter cookies with a garnish of lemon glaze or powdered sugar, they will make a creative and flavorful addition to any dessert or afternoon tea spread. (They pair especially well with Earl Grey tea.)
3 Tips for Baking Lemon Lavender Cookies
Follow these tips to make the perfect cookie full of lemon and lavender flavor.
- 1. Use dried lavender. Use dried culinary lavender buds instead of fresh flowers for a more concentrated flavor. Since the flavor of dried lavender is stronger than fresh, use it sparingly as too much may give the cookies an overpowering and soapy taste.
- 2. Refrigerate the dough. Chill your lemon lavender cookie dough in the fridge immediately after mixing it. Chilling the dough gives the eggs and butter ample time to absorb and makes it easier to handle and shape. When you’re ready to bake the fully chilled dough, use a cookie cutter to cut it into clean, crisp shapes quickly.
- 3. Use a food processor. Optimize prep time by combining the cookie dough ingredients in a food processor instead of using a stand mixer or mixing by hand. First, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt, then add the butter. Continue pulsing until the mixture looks crumbly and contains chunks of butter throughout. Add the egg yolks and pulse a few more times until you have combined the mixture fully.
Iced Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies Recipe
makes
25 cookiesprep time
15 mintotal time
45 mincook time
30 minIngredients
For the lemon lavender icing:
For the cookies:
Notes: The total time does not include 3 hours and 30 minutes of inactive time. The icing is an optional component. Feel free to skip the icing and enjoy the baked cookies on their own.
Make the lemon lavender icing:
- 1
Make the lemon lavender sugar syrup (optional). In a mixing bowl, toss the lemon rind strips with 2 teaspoons of dried lavender and a ½ cup of sugar.
- 2
Using a pestle or wooden spoon, lightly crush the lemon rinds with the dried lavender and sugar. Add the lemon juice to the mixture and stir.
- 3
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Shake the mixture every 45 minutes for 3 hours.
- 4
Once 3 hours have passed, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve and transfer it to an airtight container such as a glass bottle with a stopper attachment. The leftover syrup will keep for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
- 5
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the lemon lavender syrup until a smooth icing forms. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to ice your cookies.
Make the cookie dough:
- 1
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons of dried lavender.
- 3
Add the butter to the dry ingredients, and pulse until the mixture looks crumbly with some large pieces of butter remaining.
- 4
Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Pulse a few more times to incorporate.
- 5
Transfer the shortbread mixture to a clean work surface. Working quickly, form the cookie dough into a flat disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Bake and assemble the cookies:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 2-inch-thick rectangle. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles or other simple shapes. (The crumbly dough isn’t suitable for complicated shapes.) Transfer the cookies to the parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
- 3
Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once they’ve cooled, enjoy the cookies or follow the next few steps if you’ve opted to ice them.
- 4
Remove the icing from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
- 5
Place a piece of aluminum foil underneath the cooling rack to catch the excess icing. Cover the cooled cookies in the icing.
- 6
Serve the cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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