Lavender Shortbread Akashas Food

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lavender, mint and lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Cookie stamps will work well on these too. Place on cookie sheets.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the butter until soft in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1/4 cup sugar and mix until incorporated. Stir together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix at low speed just until the ingredients are almost incorporated, then add the lavender, and mix until the dough starts to come together. Flour a work surface, turn the dough onto it, and knead it 5 to 10 times, to bring the dough together and smooth it out.
• Reflour the work surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a little less than 1/4-inch thick to fit an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment. To transfer to the pan, roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, lift it up, and unroll into the pan. (Or, press the dough thoroughly into the pan with your fingers.) Prick the shortbread all over with a fork, or use a pique-vite (dough docker) if you've got one, to prevent any buckling or shrinking. Sprinkle the surface evenly with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, deflate the dough by knocking the pan once against the oven rack then rotate the pan to ensure even cooking and a flat surface. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden all over and very lightly browned. As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the surface evenly with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Let cool about 5 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 3 rows by 5 rows making about 1 1/2-inch by 3-inch bars. Let cool completely in the pan. Remove from the pan and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD (AKASHA'S)

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sea salt, powdered sugar and lavender until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until combined, about 10 seconds. Fold in the flour by hand, mixing lightly just until incorporated and being careful not to over-mix.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a log 9 inches long and 2 inches thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm enough to slice.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the log, and cut into one-fourth-inch slices. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until set (the cookies should not color).
• Cool the cookies (still on the pans) on a rack. Then dust lightly with powdered sugar. They will keep for a few days in a container.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Cream together butter, sugar, lavender and mint with a mixer until light and fluffy.
• Add flour, cornstarch and salt and beat until well mixed.
• Divide dough into two, flatten into discs, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
• Roll out dough to 1/2" thickness on a floured board.
• Cut into 1 1/2" squares or into rounds.
• Bake 20-25 minutes on parchment covered cookie sheets, or until golden.
• Let cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• When completely cool, dust with lavender-flavored powdered sugar (see recipe Lavender Sugar#71901 or Flavored Sugars#53926) or plain powdered sugar would be fine.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and 2 teaspoons lavender; cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours. , In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and remaining lavender. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, 2 hours. , Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 1-1/2-in. squares. Repeat with remaining dough. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork several times. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 18-22 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Sift reserved lavender sugar; discard lavender. Sprinkle cookies with the sugar. Store in airtight containers.

LAVENDER AND HONEY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F
• Place flour, confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in food processor; cover; pulse to blend.
• Add butter; pulse until coarse crumbs form.
• Add honey, lavender and vanilla; pulse until dough pulls away from side of bowl.
• Place dough in ungreased 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Place waxed paper over dough.
• Press to form a smooth even layer in bottom of tart pan.
• Remove waxed paper.
• Pierce dough with a fork, then score top with sharp knife into 12 wedges.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and just starting to brown around the edges. (Shortbread should be pale in color.)
• Place pan on wire rack.
• Cut through shortbread into wedges.
• While still warm but not hot, remove shortbread from pan to wire rack to cool.
• PREPARE VANILLA GLAZE:.
• Mix cup confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl until well blended and smooth.
• Drizzle vanilla glaze over cooled shortbread.
• OTHER VARIATION:.
• Sprinkle shortbread with confectioners' sugar.