Iced Lemon Lavender (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cookies
01 -
¾ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into chunks
02 -
2 ½ cups leveled all-purpose flour
03 -
Zest from a small lemon
04 -
2 tablespoons of bottled or fresh lemon juice
05 -
½ teaspoon lavender that's safe to eat
06 -
¾ cup powdered sugar
07 -
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, coarse
08 -
½ teaspoon vanilla
→ Icing
09 -
1 cup of powdered sugar
10 -
2 teaspoons of meringue powder
11 -
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or bottled
12 -
A sprinkle of dried lavender or lemon zest for looks
# Instructions:
01 -
Start by placing the flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lavender into a food processor. Blend the mix with a few pulses. Keep the blade moving and drop in butter one chunk at a time until the mix clumps together. Add in the vanilla and lemon juice, blending until dough takes shape.
02 -
Dump the dough onto a clean surface, gathering any loose bits. Shape it into a disc, then dust lightly with flour. Prepare a square pan (8 or 9 inches) by lining it with parchment paper that's been lightly greased to keep it in place. Press dough into a flat, even layer inside the pan.
03 -
Using a sharp knife or a flour-dusted bench scraper, slice the dough into squares. For an 8-inch pan, make it 5×5 for 25 cookie pieces. A 9-inch pan can go 6×6 for 36 squares. Poke holes all over the dough with a skewer or toothpick to stop it from puffing up. Chill for half an hour in the fridge.
04 -
Put your oven on 150°C (300°F) and position the rack in the middle. Bake the cooled dough for around 45 minutes until it's turned a golden brown and is cooked through. Place the pan on a cooling rack and immediately run a knife through to re-cut the squares. Let them cool completely before pulling them out of the pan using the parchment paper.
05 -
Mix meringue powder and powdered sugar in a bowl. Slowly add in lemon juice, stirring until the icing is smooth and runny.
06 -
Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and shake off extra drips. While the icing is still wet, sprinkle some dried lavender or a bit of lemon zest over the top. Let them fully dry for about 4 to 6 hours before touching.
07 -
Place cookies in a sealed container and keep at room temperature for one to two weeks, or freeze them for up to 3–6 months.
# Notes:
01 -
If table salt is all you've got, use half the amount instead of Kosher salt.
02 -
Pre-slicing the dough before putting it in the oven makes breaking apart the cookies a breeze later.
03 -
Poking the dough keeps it from puffing up while baking.