I associate lavender with soap. I do. It seems fitting that its flowery aroma flavor bath salts, shampoos, lotion…but food? Hmmm, I couldn’t be less interested. It certainly had its day in the sun with chefs adding it to everything from meats to ice cream, this herb was (and maybe continues to be?) one of many hip go-to ingredients. Needless to say regardless of its growing popularity, I avoided it at all costs.

Its no surprise that lavender has been utilized throughout history. Queen Elizabeth used it for tea and Queen Victoria loved it so much she employed it in every way possible. Come to find out that to this day the French are known to send their lamb to graze in lavender fields so their meat will not only be tender but supposedly to take on the fragrance as well. Speaking of the French, I learned that lavender is actually not traditionally used in French cooking- what?! Having always lumped lavender with the popular Herbes De Provence blend, it came as a bit of a shocker to read that Herbes De Provence was actually invented by spice wholesalers in the 1970’s. Bogus.

Since I have such an aversion to this ingredient I felt that I should at least attempt to give it a shot by experimenting with it in my own kitchen. Hell, maybe lavender will turn out to be a flavor I could potentially enjoy. I perused some recipes and in the end decided on shortbread cookies (butter makes everything better right?). I figured this way I could include not one but two ingredients easily found at the local farmers markets right now- both lavender & honey. Full disclosure- the lavender I used actually came right out of my front yard where lately it has been blooming like mad and in that attracting hordes of bees. These bees are a gigantic pain in my ass (not literally…well, yet anyway). I have to wade through this hive every day to get off my porch and each time I beg those little bastards (out loud, mind you) not to sting me. The neighbors no doubt think I’m fucking nuts. Ah but I digress…I apologize. Shortbread, yes. Here’s the recipe I followed (it is in fact the same one I used for Rosemary Shortbread in an earlier post but obviously using Lavender instead of the Rosemary):

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp lavender
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1. Oven @ 300.
2. In bowl, whisk: flour, salt, baking powder & lavender.
3. Mix: butter, honey & confectioners sugar in large bowl @ low speed. Then add flour mixture and mix until dough resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea sized) butter lumps. Gather dough into ball and transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until it just comes together (about 8 times). Halve dough and form each half into a 5 inch disk.
4. Roll out one disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 9 inch round. Remove top sheet and transfer dough on remaining parchment to baking sheet.
5. Score dough into wedges, squares, whatever- by using a fork then mark the edges decoratively. Sprinkle dough with 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar.
6. Bake in middle of oven until golden (20-25 minutes). Slide shortbread on parchment on to a rack to cool for 5 min. Transfer with a metal spatula to cutting board & cut along score marks with a heavy knife.
* these keep for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.