Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Rolling pin
• •Parchment paper
• •Bench scraper or sharp knife
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Small offset spatula or fork for glazing

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the lavender sugar

   Combine the granulated sugar and dried lavender in a small bowl or spice grinder. Pulse briefly if using a grinder, or rub together with your fingers for two minutes until the sugar turns slightly purple and smells intensely floral. The friction releases the essential oils trapped in the dried buds. Let this mixture rest for at least 15 minutes, longer if you have time. The sugar will continue absorbing those fragrant oils.

   Culinary lavender is essential here. The lavender sold for potpourri or sachets has been treated and tastes bitter. Look for food-grade lavender at spice shops, specialty grocers, or online. Provence and English varieties work equally well.
2. 2

   Cream butter and sugar

   Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add the lavender sugar, honey, salt, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl twice during this process. The butter should look almost white, with no visible sugar granules when you rub a bit between your fingers.

   Butter temperature matters enormously. Too cold and it won't cream properly. Too warm and your shortbread will spread and lose its tender crumb. Cool but pliable means it yields slightly when pressed but doesn't feel soft or greasy. Around 65°F is ideal.
3. 3

   Add flour gradually

   Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour in three additions, mixing just until each portion disappears before adding the next. Stop the mixer the moment no dry flour remains visible. The dough will look shaggy and slightly crumbly. This is correct. Overworked shortbread becomes tough and dense rather than tender and crumbly. Turn the dough onto a clean work surface and press it together gently with your hands until it forms a cohesive mass.

4. 4

   Shape and chill the dough

   Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle roughly 1/4 inch thick. The parchment prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which would toughen the cookies. Slide the parchment-wrapped rectangles onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, or freeze for 20 minutes. The dough must be thoroughly chilled before cutting. Warm dough produces misshapen cookies with blurred edges.

   This is an excellent make-ahead point. The rolled dough keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
5. 5

   Cut the shortbread

   Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one dough rectangle from the refrigerator. Peel away the top parchment. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into rectangles approximately 1 by 3 inches. A ruler helps here if precision matters to you. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. These cookies spread minimally, but they need room for air circulation. Dock each cookie twice with a fork, pressing straight down through to the parchment. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. 6

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the halfway point. Watch carefully during the final few minutes. The cookies are done when the edges turn golden and the centers look set but still pale. They will firm as they cool. Remove from oven and let cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The shortbread needs to be fully cooled before glazing, at least 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Make the lemon glaze

   Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl to remove any lumps. Add the lemon juice and zest. Whisk until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick enough to coat but thin enough to drip slowly from a spoon. If too thick, add lemon juice half a teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add more powdered sugar by the tablespoon. Taste it. The glaze should be assertively tart, almost puckering. This acidity is what makes the lavender shine.

8. 8

   Glaze and garnish

   Arrange cooled cookies on the wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch drips. Dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle across each cookie in thin, irregular lines. Or spread a thin layer across the top of each cookie using a small offset spatula. Before the glaze sets, sprinkle a few lavender buds onto each cookie. Work in batches of six or so, as the glaze begins to set within 3 minutes. Let cookies sit undisturbed until the glaze is completely firm, about 20 minutes.

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your butter determines the quality of your shortbread. Use the best you can find. European-style butters with higher fat content produce an exceptionally tender cookie.
• •Measure flour by weight if possible. The difference between a properly measured cup and a packed one can be 30 grams, enough to throw off the delicate ratio that makes shortbread work.
• •These cookies actually taste better on day two or three, once the lavender has had time to mellow and the glaze has softened slightly against the shortbread. Plan accordingly for gifting.
• •If the lavender flavor seems too faint after baking, you can add 1/8 teaspoon of food-grade lavender extract to the glaze. Use a light hand. Lavender extract is potent.
• •For a variation, substitute orange juice and zest for the lemon. The orange-lavender combination recalls Provençal kitchens.

Advance Preparation

• •Lavender sugar can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The flavor deepens with time.
• •Rolled dough keeps refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to baking time.
• •Unglazed shortbread stores in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or frozen for 2 months.
• •Glazed cookies keep at room temperature in a single layer (or separated by parchment) for up to 5 days. Do not freeze after glazing, as the glaze becomes tacky when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 23g)