It's Spring! Time for my own creation: Lemon Lavendar Cookies...

At Christmas, my mom's Orange cookies are my sister's and my favorite cookie of the season. I don't know why I only make it then, but for some reason that's the case. A few years ago, I had been given some lavender to cook with, one of those pretty crocks from Williams & Sonoma, and hadn't used much of it. Then I went to a local tea house and they served lemon lavender scones which I feel in love with. I decided to tinker with the orange cookie base and came up with a cookie recipe with the lemon lavender combination. It was a hit! I have people who go crazy over these cookies (myself included). To me, they are the perfect spring and summer cookies. The lavender flavor is not overpowering...just a hint to accompany the lemon flavor. Be sure to make the glaze as well. It dresses them up and adds a sweet/tart punch. I also adapted the Nigella Lawson scone recipe with a lemon lavender variation....I'll post those one of these days as well.

Lee's Lemon Lavender Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
• 1/8 cup (=2 T) lemon juice
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• grated rind of one lemon
• 1 Tablespoon of lavender

For the icing:

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• lemon juice 
• water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer. 
3. Add the egg and mix and then add the buttermilk and lemon juice and mix. The consistency may look a bit odd, but don't panic!
4. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients with a whisk: the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, lemon rind and lavender.
5. Add the dry mixture to the sugar/butter mixture and blend well. 
6. Drop rounded teaspoonful onto cookie sheets layered with silpat or parchment paper (this is optional but prevents the cookies from getting too browned around the edges)
7. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. While baking mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice, adding the lemon juice a teaspoonful at a time (it doesn't take too much) until it's at a spreading consistency (not too liquidy). If you want to cut the lemon flavor you can also use some water though I stick with the juice.
9. When you remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to the cooling rack. Start icing them as soon as you've transferred them to the cooling rack so that you are icing while they are still warm.

Photo's below to help:

Lemon zest and lavendar

Heaped teaspoon on parchment paper or silpat

Right out if the oven!

Icing consistency

Iced and cooling (add the icing while cookies are warm)