If you grow lavender at home, you probably bake with it too. Here’s a good recipe for lavender shortbread. (Note: To optimize aesthetics, best to use a large-grained sugar for the outer-coating. I used regular sugar and ended up with an uneven coating around the edges — see the clumps of sugar in the photo…coarse sugar would’ve spread more evenly).

Ready

• 12 oz butter
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 yolks
• 2 T vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 tsp freshly ground lavender
• 3 ⅓ cups A.P. flour

Set

• Coffee Grinder
• Spatula
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Spoons/Cups
• Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
• Cookie Sheet or Half Sheet Pan
• Parchment Paper

Go

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 F
2. Mince dried lavender buds in a coffee grinder. Measure out 3 teaspoons and set aside.
3. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until blended. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and just mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, the seeds scraped from the inside of 1 vanilla bean, and the ground lavender. Mix.
4. Add the flour and mix until completely incorporated.
5. Form dough into a few logs, 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 4 hrs.
6. Remove logs from refrigerator. Brush each log lightly with water and roll log in sugar to coat the outside surface.
7. Slice into ¼-½ inch rounds. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy.

What you should know

Note: Cut fresh lavender flowers from the garden and wash out all the dirt/bugs. Hang upside down until dry. Mince the dry flower buds in a coffee grinder. Once ground, they’re ready to measure out and use for baking.

This recipe is a variation on the plain shortbread recipe from baking class at Tante Marie’s Cooking School.