Gallant Eats

Last week I went to visit Ivy in Berkeley for her birthday. I prepared for her some shortbread with homegrown lavender. It was, well, it was heavenly. Lavendicious. AND easy! I made a second batch for my sister and her Davis friends, who came to visit for a few days. It has gotten so that I can't smell lavender without also catching deep whiffs of butter and sugar.



Lavender shortbread
Makes 24 cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
2 Tbs lavender
1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbs mild honey
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbs granulated sugar (for sprinkling on top)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and lavender in a bowl.

• Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer at low speed. Mix in honey, then add confectioners’ sugar. Add flour mixture and mix until dough resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-sized) butter lumps. Gather dough in ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it just comes together, about 8 times. Divide dough into 3 equal-sized balls and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

• Roll out one ball between 2 sheets of parchment into a 6-7-inch disk. Remove top sheet of parchment and transfer dough on bottom sheet of parchment to a baking sheet. Score dough into 8 wedges by pricking dotted lines with a fork. Mark edges decoratively with the fork. Sprinkle dough with granulated sugar. (Repeat with remaining dough)

• Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Slide shortbread on parchment to a rack and cool 5 minutes. Cut along score marks.