Salted Honey Lavender Shortbread

It's no secret that I love shortbread....

Pine Nut Rosemary Shortbread

Pumpkin Shortbread

Apple and Carrot Shortbread

Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread

... but I also adore salty sweets and recently received a bunch of culinary lavender for my birthday (considering my birthday was at the end of September I guess it's not so recent but I just got around to using it haha), so when I came across these shortbread squares it's safe to say I was absolutely smitten.

These cookies are buttery, salty, perfectly crumbly but not overly messy, and infused with a wonderful lavender flavor without being too floral-y of perfume-y. They make a beautiful dessert with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, or a great afternoon snack with a cup of piping hot tea :).

As an avid shortbread fan, these cookies are some of the best I have ever had (and let me tell you I've had quite a few varieties)! Not to mention the fact that these cookies are extremely simple to make thanks to the fact that you just press all of the dough into a pan and then cut them after they are baked. It also makes for easy clean-up considering you only really dirty your mixing bowl and baking tin!

Salted Honey Lavender Shortbread

recipe from here

makes 16 cookie bars

ingredients:

• 7 1/4 ounces (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 2 1/4 ounces (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp culinary lavender
• 6 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp sea salt + more to top the cookies (I used Cyprus Flake Sea Salt which is pyramid-shaped, but any flaky salt would work i.e. fleur de sel)
• 3 tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8"x8"baking tin with butter or non-stick spray. Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper as well (make sure there is enough overhang of the parchment paper so that you can easily lift the cookies out of the tin). Set aside.
2. (This step is optional but I find it distributes the lavender better.) In a food processor whir together the sugar and lavender for about a minute until the lavender buds are chopped and distributed throughout the sugar and the sugar has a purple hue (careful, it gets quite powdery).
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the ingredients and mix in low speed until combined (it's fine if the dough is crumbly).
4. Press the dough into the prepared tin. With a fork, poke the surface of the dough all over.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the cookies feel firm when lightly pressed mine baked for 30 minutes).
6. After you remove to cookies from the oven, sprinkle the tops with sea salt. Allow to fully cool in the pan before removing and slicing into 16 equal squares.