Lavender-Vanilla Cookies

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Continuing our Week of Lavender in Washington, I’m sharing my favorite recipe for lavender cookies (by request). They are a bit like snickerdoodles, but with a floral flavor, instead of cinnamon.

I baked a huge batch of these recently, providing cookies for the coffeehouse/bed & breakfast, a catered tea party, a local charity event, and a church potluck. They all disappeared quickly!

I often have extra egg yolks sitting in my fridge, after preparing gluten/grain-free desserts (such as meringues), and this is a fun way to make use of them (if I’m not mixing them into a breakfast skillet!).

Use real, nourishing ingredients to make this sweet treat a bit more wholesome, such as pastured eggs and butter, whole grain flour, real vanilla, and a “healthier” sugar. (I used an organic evaporated cane juice sugar for the shop, but you could probably substitute in some sucanat/rapadura or a small amount of honey; let me know if you do!)

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Unlike many of my other recipes, this recipe is not gluten-free; however, I am sharing it since this is not an issue for all of my readers, plus they make a lovely gift! You can adapt it by substituting in your favorite gluten-free flour mixture, if desired.

Lavender-Vanilla Cookies

1 Cup real Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar (Evaporated Cane Juice)
6 Egg Yolks, beaten
2 1/2 Cups Whole White Wheat Pastry Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Approx. 1 1/2 tsp. Organic Lavender buds (I get mine from Mountain Rose Herbs.)
Some Vanilla Sugar* + a Sprinkle of Lavender buds in a dish for rolling dough

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar. Mix in egg yolks and vanilla extract to butter. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture until well blended.

Begin rolling dough into walnut-sized balls, and then individually roll the balls in the bowl of sugar/lavender mixture. Place each cookie ball a couple inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet, and slightly flatten with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Recipe adapted from this Egg Yolk Cookie recipe.

*About a month ago, I made a jar of my own vanilla sugar, using organic vanilla beans from Mountain Rose Herbs and organic evaporated cane juice sugar. (This is provided in a “condiment sprinkle jar” in our coffeehouse.)

These cookies are perfect for a summer tea party or gift box. They travel well!