My favorite cookie at Christmas is the Raspberry Jam Shortbread recipe you can find here on my blog. Since I love them so much, I decided I wanted to come up with a seasonal version for Spring, Summer and Fall. First up, Spring! Enjoy xo RCN
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg white
Edible Flowers, I used 2 packs of That’s Tasty from WholeFoods which gave me enough to pick apart and create unique designs with different petals and stems.
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment beat butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until creamy about 2-3 minutes. Stop every so many seconds to scrape mixture off sides of mixing bowl.
In another medium size bowl, sift together flour, lemon juice, and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low. Slowly and gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Beat until combined. Divide dough in half, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is hardened, about 45 minutes. Leave 1/2 of dough in fridge while you work on first batch of cookies.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add flour to rolling pin and surface. Begin rolling 1/2 of dough. Gently roll back and forth until dough is about 1/4” thick. I used a 2” round cookie cutter that gave me about 2 dozen cookies.
HINT: Add flour to surface as you continue rolling out dough. If dough continues to flake apart or stick to rolling pin, don’t be afraid to gather dough back together and pound out flat with hands rather than with pin. I used a combination of my hands and the rolling pin to get all the cookies rolled out and cut.
Brush a thin layer of egg white onto the tops of cookies to help the flowers stick. Separate out flowers any which way you would like and place onto cookie. Gently push flowers into the cookie to help it lay flat.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies become the slightest bit golden on edges. Cookies should just be set, still appear light in color and edges barely colored. The flower petals do shrink in size quite a bit, especially the pansy petals, but I was still happy with the rustic appearance. Let cookies cool completely on pans. Then, Enjoy!
