Lemon and lavender shortbread

I came across the most amazing recipe for shortbread recently, using lemon zest and garden fresh lavender. Since I’ve got a garden full of the stuff (the lavender, that is!), I decided that I had to try it! The original recipe can be found at QuintanaRoo’s flickr album. Although I feel a little ungrateful messing with her recipe at all, I decided that I really wanted to just use my own favorite shortbread recipe with the addition of the lemon zest, and follow her icing recipe to the letter. If you’d prefer to go visit QuintanaRoo’s recipe, which I believe may be a vegan one, please just click on the link and enjoy!

So, here’s my version for the shortbread itself:

Lemon Shortbread

1 c butter
1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
Lemon zest grated from 2 lemons
2 c flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
Cream the butter and sugar together. Stir in the lemon zest and the dry ingredients. Pat it into a square or round cake pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Slice the cookies while still warm. Allow to cool completely.

Lemon and Lavender icing

1 c confectioner’s sugar
3 t dried culinary lavender
2 t lemon zest (preferably Meyer lemon)
1-2 T lemon juice

This is directly from QuintanaRoo’s directions:
1. whisk all ingredients together, starting with one tablespoon of lemon juice and adding more as needed to create a smooth, pourable icing
2. immediately spread evenly on the cooled shortbread
3. chill in the refrigerator and cut when icing has set firmly, about one hour

Actually, I’ve already cut the cookies before icing them. So as soon as they are refrigerator set, you can carefully pry up a row at a time and snap them apart.