Gingery Lavender Shortbread Recipes

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium-low speed, just until they are combined. (Don¿t whip!) Add the vanilla and 2 teaspoons water and mix until combined. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the ginger, then dump onto a surface generously dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 3/8 inch thick and cut circles with a 2 3/4-inch plain round cookie cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
• Cool to room temperature and serve.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and 2 teaspoons lavender; cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours. , In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and remaining lavender. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, 2 hours. , Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 1-1/2-in. squares. Repeat with remaining dough. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork several times. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 18-22 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Sift reserved lavender sugar; discard lavender. Sprinkle cookies with the sugar. Store in airtight containers.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lavender, mint and lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Cookie stamps will work well on these too. Place on cookie sheets.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the butter until soft in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1/4 cup sugar and mix until incorporated. Stir together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix at low speed just until the ingredients are almost incorporated, then add the lavender, and mix until the dough starts to come together. Flour a work surface, turn the dough onto it, and knead it 5 to 10 times, to bring the dough together and smooth it out.
• Reflour the work surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a little less than 1/4-inch thick to fit an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment. To transfer to the pan, roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, lift it up, and unroll into the pan. (Or, press the dough thoroughly into the pan with your fingers.) Prick the shortbread all over with a fork, or use a pique-vite (dough docker) if you've got one, to prevent any buckling or shrinking. Sprinkle the surface evenly with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, deflate the dough by knocking the pan once against the oven rack then rotate the pan to ensure even cooking and a flat surface. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden all over and very lightly browned. As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the surface evenly with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Let cool about 5 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 3 rows by 5 rows making about 1 1/2-inch by 3-inch bars. Let cool completely in the pan. Remove from the pan and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

GINGERY LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In bowl, combine flour, sugar, crystallized ginger, lavender, and ground ginger.
• Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.
• Form mixture into a ball; knead until smooth (dough may be crumbly at first but will come together as you work it with your hands).
• Roll or pat dough onto prepared cookie sheet in 11” x 6” rectangle.
• With large knife, carefully halve rectangle lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 16 slices.
• Do not separate slices.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are light brown and center is set.
• Re-cut the rectangle and separate the slices while warm.
• If desired, sprinkle with additional sugar.
• Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• To Store: Place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.
• Store at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Pat dough into prepared pan. If rolling out dough to cut into shapes, form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Sift 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of pepper with flour and salt. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out gingerbread men using a 3-inch cutter; sprinkle with crystal sugar; chill.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm, about 30 minutes.

LAVENDER AND HONEY SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F
• Place flour, confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in food processor; cover; pulse to blend.
• Add butter; pulse until coarse crumbs form.
• Add honey, lavender and vanilla; pulse until dough pulls away from side of bowl.
• Place dough in ungreased 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Place waxed paper over dough.
• Press to form a smooth even layer in bottom of tart pan.
• Remove waxed paper.
• Pierce dough with a fork, then score top with sharp knife into 12 wedges.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and just starting to brown around the edges. (Shortbread should be pale in color.)
• Place pan on wire rack.
• Cut through shortbread into wedges.
• While still warm but not hot, remove shortbread from pan to wire rack to cool.
• PREPARE VANILLA GLAZE:.
• Mix cup confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract in small bowl until well blended and smooth.
• Drizzle vanilla glaze over cooled shortbread.
• OTHER VARIATION:.
• Sprinkle shortbread with confectioners' sugar.

CANDIED GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper with the flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger to the creamed butter-and-sugar mixture before adding the flour mixture. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Pat the dough into pan or pans. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped ginger and 1 tablespoon crystal sugar over each pan before baking.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm and just starting to color, 30 to 40 minutes.