Lemon Lavender Cookies with Lemon Icing

These lemon lavender cookies are a special treat, perfect if you have a fancy affair or need to wow someone. Oh and they go perfectly with a cup of Earl Grey Tea, seriously a perfect flavour combination.

Also Read: Lemon Thyme Cookies, How to Muddle Herbs, Growing Lavender for Herb Gifts

What do lemon lavender cookies taste like?

These cookies have a unique floral and citrus flavour. My recipe calls for only 1 teaspoon of lavender buds and a generous 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, so the lavender flavour is not overpowering or soapy tasting. The cookie part itself is a classic sugar cookie with the goodness of butter. And then comes the icing – sweet and lemony for that extra taste of citrus. Garnished with more lavender and lemon zest.

For a more pronounced lavender aroma or flavour – go ahead add more lavender buds.

How do I avoid soapy tasting lavender cookies?

Ugh, soapy lavender flavour is the worst!

That soapy taste is usually from using too much lavender in your baking or cooking. That’s why I only use 1 tsp dried lavender in this recipe and pair it with lemon and butter. Dairy and citrus pair beautifully with lavender.

It may also be due to the variety of lavender you’re using. Do a test before you start baking by rubbing some lavender in your palm to see how potent it is. If it’s very strong – use less than the recipe calls for.

What can I substitute in these cookies?

Lavender – use other herbs like lemon thyme, rosemary, mint, sage, etc.

Lemon – you can leave it out or try other citrus flavours like lime or orange

Butter – I hesitate to recommend an alternative here – this cookie batter is plain and simple, the goodness comes from the buttery flavour and texture. I have never tried using anything but butter in this recipe. But technically you could use margarine.

Sugar – This is a sugar cookie. While I love reducing and swapping sugar with applesauce when possible – this particular cookie needs granulated sugar. You can try substituting, but you’ll get a different cookie – it may be delicious, but it will not be a sugar cookie.

Egg – I have not tried any egg replacements in this recipe. If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments.

What type of lavender should I use?

Did you know that there are many types of lavender? Yup, there are hundreds of varieties of lavender grown in different regions of the world. Some varieties are better for cooking and baking than others, these are called culinary grade lavender. In general, if you’re growing your own look for True Lavender varieties with the name Lavandula angustifolias. Common names you might find in a green house include: “Miss Katherine”, “Buena Vista”, “Folgate”, etc. Read the note attached, it should give you a description of the flavor and best uses.

Other types of lavender are include Lavandula x. intermedia. These types of lavenders are also edible but they may be more pungent than the True lavenders mentioned above.

If you have lavender buds on your kitchen counter right now and you have no idea what variety they are – rub some in your hand and smell. What do you think – do you like it, is it overpowering, are the buds too big, is it perfect? Work with what you have and adjust the recipe. Mince large buds and if the aroma is too much for you, cut the amount in half.

The only type of lavender that is truly not edible is lavender that has been harvested and processed with non-edible functions in mind and where safe food handling is not a priority. If you buy lavender in a craft store vs an herb or food store – you might not want to use it for cooking or baking.

Also, when you examine a lavender bud closely, there’s the blue/purple flower part (the corolla) and there’s the harder calyx that holds the flower petals in place. If you buy fancy culinary lavender, all you’ll get are the flower petals. Pure perfection – but pricey! If you harvest your own lavender, you can try to separate the two segments – or you can mince or grind your lavender and not worry too much about the calyx. Guess what I do!?

Is there a difference using fresh or dried lavender?

You bet. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh lavender – it will look stunning as a garnish. But, you’ll need to use three times as much for the cookie batter.

Dried lavender is much more potent than fresh lavender. Typically 1 tsp dried lavender=1Tbsp fresh lavender.

Will these cookies hold their shape?

Yes! The recipe does use butter, but it doesn’t have any baking powder and only uses one egg. It holds its shape. Even the little ruffles on the edge of the cookie came out without being misshapen.

Another tip to help sugar cookies like this hold their shape is to chill the cookie dough before rolling. Keeping the butter cold until it hits the oven definitely helps.

Recipe for Lemon Lavender Cookies

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Lemon Lavender Cookies with Lemon Icing

A unique sugar cookie with a gentle flavour of lavender and lemon. The lemon icing garnished with more lavender and lemon zest adds a pretty touch and more lemon flavour.

Prep : 25 minutes mins

Cook : 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 28

Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 tsp dried lavender blossoms
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dried lavender blossoms minced or crushed
• 2 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

• Use a knife, spice grinder or mortar and pestle to mince lavender buds to make smaller pieces and more evenly distribute the lavender throughout the batter. Combine with sugar and add lemon zest.
• In large bowl, cream butter until smooth and fluffy, about 3 min. Add sugar mix and beat another 2 minutes.
• Beat in egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 1 min.
• Gradually add in flour, mix until just combined. Batter will look crumbly.
  
• Use hands to press together into a rough shaped ball. Separate into two pieces, flatten and wrap each half with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.
  
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove one half of dough from fridge, roll out on lightly floured counter to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with your favorite cookie cutter and place on cool baking sheet leaving 1 inch space between cookies. Re-roll scraps and cut cookies until done. Repeat with other half of dough.
• Bake for 15 minutes until just turning gold around edges. Remove from oven and let rest for two minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
• Cool thoroughly before adding icing.

Icing

• In small bowl combine powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Mix well.
• Add more lemon juice to reach desired consistency.
• Sprinkle minced lavender and lemon zest on top of cookie before top hardens.
• Let rest to harden icing, minimum 15 minutes.
• Makes 24 to 36 cookies depending on cookie cutter size

Notes

Try this recipe with other herbs and citrus – lemon thyme, thyme, rosemary, sage

Chilling the cookie dough in the fridge for at least an hour hardens the butter so it’s less sticky to roll and the cookies hold the cookie cutter shape better.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Iron: 1mg

Course: baking

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookies, fresh herbs, herbs in baking, lavender, lavender cookies

How to Freeze and Store Sugar Cookies

I remember mom storing Christmas sugar cookies in the freezer. She says it’s because she wanted to get a head start on holiday baking – but mostly it was to prevent us from eating them all!

Freezing sugar cookies – BEFORE ICING – is the best way to keep your cookies tasting super fresh. Place them in an airtight container and enjoy within 3 months.

You can also store them on the counter for two weeks. Because these are a drier cookie than peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies, they’ll store very well, without worrying about them becoming soggy or sticking together. Here’s what to do:

• Cool cookies completely. And let icing harden completely.
• Place in air-tight container.
• Store different flavours separately. If you store your lavender cookies with others – they’ll all taste like lavender!
• Place parchment paper or wax paper between layers if cookies are iced, if they’re not iced – no need for anything between the cookies.

I would love to hear about your herb and baking experiments, please let me know if you make these lemon lavender cookies and what you though. Leave a comment and or share a photo on Instagram and tag @getgettys so I can see it and like it there!