Lavender Sugar Cookies

I was perusing through an amazing indoor market in a nearby city a few months ago and found a cool spice booth. I ended up buying dried lavender flowers and black lava salt. This is the first recipe in which I used the lavender flowers - as far as I know I've never eaten lavender before! It took me a while to find a recipe that grabbed my attention. These are basic sugar cookies, but the lavender adds a subtle flavor and aroma that is delicious.

Lavender Sugar Cookies
from Cinnamon Spice

1 tablespoon fresh or dried culinary lavender flowers
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Sanding sugar or sprinkles for decorating

1. Use a food processor to grind lavender flowers together with sugar.

2. In a medium sized bowl beat butter and lavender sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add flour and salt and blend until combined taking care not to over mix (dough should be soft but not sticky). Separate dough into two balls and wrap in plastic, flattening each into a flat disc and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325°F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper or leave them ungreased. Roll out one disc of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. Decorate with sanding sugar and/or lightly press a lavender sprig or leaf into the cookie and top. (To keep shapes intact, refrigerate baking sheet with shaped cookies for 10 minutes before baking).

4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to lightly brown around the edges. Carefully remove and cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies depending on size.