RECIPE: READING + EATING IN THE COTSWOLDS- LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Recipe Country of Origin: England

There has been no shortage of cookie-making around here this month, and as I begin to read Deborah Crombie’s A Bitter Feast, taking place in the U.K.’s Cotswolds District, I’m suddenly tempted to instill a mandatory afternoon tea time in our house… And what better way to drink tea, than accompanied by butter-laden biscuits infused with English lavender?!

With only a few ingredients required (and the option to substitute lavender with your favorite kind of tea) these shortbread cookies can be created on a whim and enjoyed for days to come.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp dried lavender
• 3/4 pound salted butter at room temperature (high-quality butter tastes best)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 17.5 ounces by weight all purpose flour (3.5 cups measured)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Grind the lavender up very finely using a mortar and pestle, until it is almost a powder. If fresh lavender is not available, you may use tea leaves of your choice.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, sugar, and lavender powder until combined and spread around the bowl. If necessary, you can also mix by hand.
• Add the vanilla and mix just until it disappears.
• Add flour to the bowl, and mix together until a dough ball forms.
• Roll the dough out on a baking mat about 1/2″ thick, then cut desired shapes. Squares, rectangles, and circles all work well. 
• Place the cookies on a sheet tray, and refrigerate for 1 hour, until cold and firm to the touch.
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden brown on the edges.
• Let the cookies cool to room temperature, and enjoy with a hot cup of tea!

*****

Want to Travel from Home? Join the Wilsons in Wanderland Book Club