A SPRING RECIPE with PHOEBE COLE-SMITH
A SPRING RECIPE WITH PHOEBE COLE-SMITH
I love to use a flavorful and fragrant element such as lavender from my herb garden blended into the dough of these classic shortbread cookies. Living in a tiny cottage with a very simple kitchen setup does not allow for complicated baking projects — so with only four ingredients and very few kitchen tools required, these cookies can be whipped up by hand in no time, kept in the refrigerator for days, or frozen to serve later.
Shortbread contains a lot of butter and this recipe calls for salted butter, so use the best quality butter you can find. I like Vermont Creamery’s cultured butter with sea salt crystals.
FRESH LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Makes three dozen cookies
3 sticks (12 oz. sea-salted butter) at room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or use unsalted butter and add 1/4 teaspoon sea salt)
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lavender flowers (or 1 tablespoon dried, picked from the stem and lightly chopped (not too finely or it bruises the blossoms, affecting the fresh flavor)
If making by hand:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the flour and confectioners’ sugar together. Add the butter and, using a wooden spoon, mix until the dough just comes together. Sprinkle in the lavender, mixing again briefly to distribute. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead once or twice and bring together with your hands to form a ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, shape into a disc, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into shapes using a pretty cookie cutter. Using a fork, lightly prick each cookie once or twice to ensure even baking. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 13-15 minutes until just turning golden but still light-colored. Transfer the cookies on the parchment paper to a rack to cool completely.
Notes:
1. If you prefer to use a food processor, process the flour and confectioners’ sugar together first, then add the butter and process until the dough just begins to come together. Add the lavender flowers and pulse a couple more times until the lavender is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
2. Depending on what’s available and in season, I also like to use fresh fennel pollen and seeds, or dried garden poppy seeds in this shortbread. So many possibilities! Bon appetit!
Photography: Phoebe Cole-Smith
A SPRING RECIPE with
PHOEBE COLE-SMITH
I love to use a flavorful and fragrant element such as lavender from my herb garden blended into the dough of these classic shortbread cookies. Living in a tiny cottage with a very simple kitchen setup does not allow for complicated baking projects — so with only four ingredients and very few kitchen tools required, these cookies can be whipped up by hand in no time, kept in the refrigerator for days, or frozen to serve later.
Shortbread contains a lot of butter and this recipe calls for salted butter, so use the best quality butter you can find. I like Vermont Creamery’s cultured butter with sea salt crystals.
FRESH LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Makes three dozen cookies
3 sticks (12 oz. sea-salted butter) at room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or use unsalted butter and add 1/4 teaspoon sea salt)
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lavender flowers (or 1 tablespoon dried, picked from the stem and lightly chopped (not too finely or it bruises the blossoms, affecting the fresh flavor)
If making by hand:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the flour and confectioners’ sugar together. Add the butter and, using a wooden spoon, mix until the dough just comes together. Sprinkle in the lavender, mixing again briefly to distribute. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead once or twice and bring together with your hands to form a ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, shape into a disc, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into shapes using a pretty cookie cutter. Using a fork, lightly prick each cookie once or twice to ensure even baking. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 13-15 minutes until just turning golden but still light-colored. Transfer the cookies on the parchment paper to a rack to cool completely.
Notes:
1. If you prefer to use a food processor, process the flour and confectioners’ sugar together first, then add the butter and process until the dough just begins to come together. Add the lavender flowers and pulse a couple more times until the lavender is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
2. Depending on what’s available and in season, I also like to use fresh fennel pollen and seeds, or dried garden poppy seeds in this shortbread. So many possibilities! Bon appetit!
Photography: Phoebe Cole-Smith