One of the best spring flavor combinations - lavender and lemon - is on the blog today with my super cute, spring flower themed lavender lemon shortbread cookies. Tart, sweet and silky lemon curd sandwiched between buttery, tender, and light lavender lemon shortbread cookies are a must bake this season.
Culinary lavender, dried or fresh, is what gives these cookies their lavender flavor. Lavender can be purchased at specialty grocery stores and also online. The lemon and lavender are well balanced so that you get flavors from both that are lovely, sweet and fragrant, not soapy and pungent. It's a truly delicious combination.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This lemon curd recipe is my go to. This curd is silky, and tart with the right amount of sweetness. And no metallic taste that can sometimes accompany citrus curds. Perfect for these cookies, but also atop scones, pancakes, and more.
- The shortbread is buttery, tender and crumbly, just like shortbread cookies should be.
- These cookies are perfect for any spring events - Easter, Mother's Day, tea parties, showers and more.
- Easy to follow recipe with step by step photo instructions for perfect cookies every time.
Recipe Ingredients
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Lemon zest
Lemon juice - fresh squeezed, not the bottled stuff
Fine sea salt
Unsalted butter
All purpose flour
Lavender - dried or fresh, culinary grade
Confectioners sugar
Vanilla extract
Recipe Instructions
Prepare the lemon curd first since it needs to chill a couple hours before assembling the cookies.
- Combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Mix the zest into the sugar until it is grainy, moist and very fragrant. Working the lemon zest into the sugar maximizes and intensifies the lemon flavor of the curd.
- Whisk in the egg and egg yolks, whisking until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the lemon juice.
- Transfer the lemon mixture to a small saucepan. Place the butter and the salt into the saucepan.
- Cook the curd until thickened, stirring constantly, until the curd reaches 175F.
- Strain the curd into a bowl with a fine mesh sieve.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap over the curd to prevent it from forming a skin. refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Prepare the cookie dough. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, lavender, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine, for 30 seconds.
- Cream the butter and granulated sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the flour mixture, until just combined.
- Turn the mixture out onto some plastic wrap and form into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough, about ⅛"- ¼" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out shapes with a flower shaped cookie cutter (or a cookie cutter of your choice).
- Place the cookie cut outs onto the prepared cookie sheets. Use a small 1" round cookie cutter to cut out holes in the centers of half of the flower shapes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes, until the edges start to turn a light, golden brown.
- Once the cookies are cool, dust a light layer of confectioners sugar onto the cookies with the holes. These will be the tops of the cookie sandwiches.
- On the cookies without the cut out centers, dollop 1.5-2 teaspoons of the chilled lemon curd in the center of each of cookie. Spread the curd out just a bit. Place the confectioners dusted cookies on top and press gently to push the curd to the edges of the cookies. Serve room temperature or chilled.
Baking Tips
- As when making any kind of shortbread, a light hand is required when mixing and cutting out the cookies. When beating the butter and the sugar, beat just until well combined. Avoid beating too much air into the mixture as it can cause the cookies to spread.
- I like to roll the dough out on a silicone mat. Parchment paper also works well. Placing a piece of parchment over the dough and then rolling it out prevents the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. This method also prevents too much reworking of the dough, keeping the cookies tender and light.
Storage and Freezing
Assembled cookies can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.
Lemon curd can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
FAQs
My favorite way to use leftover curd is on scones and muffins. It's also amazing with pancakes, waffles, cakes, cupcakes and more. The options are endless.
You sure can. My favorite store bought curd is Bonne Maman.
While the lavender is so amazing in these cookies, you can sub it out for fresh thyme, or omit it completely for lemon shortbread cookies.
If you make my lavender lemon shortbread cookies, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
More Lemon Recipes to Try
Lemon Jasmine Blueberry Scones
Meyer Lemon Ginger Tart with Toasted Honey Meringue
Lavender Lemon Shortbread Bars
Lemon Biscotti with Pistachios and White Chocolate
Recipe
Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Flower cookie cutters I used a 3" cutter
- Round cookie cutters I used a 1" cutter
- Electric Stand Mixer (or hand mixer)
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Lavender Lemon Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon culinary lavender
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- confectioners sugar, for dusting on top of cookies
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Combine the sugar and lemon zest into a bowl. Rub the mix between your hands to release the oils of the zest.½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Add the egg and egg yolks to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine thoroughly.3 large egg yolks, 1 large egg
- Add the lemon juice and whisk to combine.⅓ cup lemon juice
- Pour the mixture into a medium sauce pan, and place over a medium low heat. Add the salt and butter. Whisk continuously to keep the mixture moving so your eggs don't scramble.⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- Cook the curd until thick and just beginning to bubble, or until an instant read thermometer reaches 170F.
- Take the curd off of the heat and strain into a container using a fine mesh sieve and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate curd for at least 2 hours or up to a week.
Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, lavender, lemon zest and salt until well blended. You want the lavender to be dispersed and chopped up a bit.2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon culinary lavender, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat together on medium speed until creamy and combined.1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto some plastic wrap. Press the dough together, forming a disc shape, about an inch in height. Wrap the dough with the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Dust your work surface with flour. Roll out cookie dough to about ⅛ - ¼ inch thick.
- Using a 3" flower shaped cutter, cut out flower shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. You should have 24 cookies.
- Place the cookies 2" apart on the baking sheets.
- Place the cookies into the refrigerator to chill for an additional 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350F while the cookies are chilling.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to turn a light golden brown.
- Let cool completely on the cookie sheets or on a cooling rack.
- Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top.confectioners sugar, for dusting on top of cookies
- Spread 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of lemon curd on each whole cookie. Carefully top each with a sugar dusted cookie and press down gently until the curd reaches the edge of the cookies.
Katy says
These are so gorgeous!!! I will be visiting some extended family in spring and can’t WAIT to make these to bring with. Imagine someone showing up with these beautiful, cheery (and tasty!) cookies?!