Lavender Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
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Lavender Pistachio Shortbread Cookies make a delightful addition to a tea party. Especially a Bridal Shower Tea Party, which we hosted for our youngest daughter last spring.
These little lovelies melt in your mouth with buttery goodness. Topped with a shiny icing and crushed pistachios they are eye candy for your table. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
When I searched for shortbread cookies for our daughter’s bridal shower, I found a lot of recipes. We were going for an authentic British tea, and we decided we must have shortbread on the menu. We also worked in an herbal theme since our daughter loves greenery and herbs.
We tried adding lemon to this recipe, but found we preferred plain butter with a sprinkling of dried lavender. Too much lavender seemed to overpower the cookie. The simple icing and crushed pistachios along with the triangular cut added just the right touch and provided a nice variation from the other sweets to be offered. See more about our English Tea Bridal Shower Here.
Ingredients to Make Lavender Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- butter, room temperature
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- Organic Lavender, food grade
Glaze
- powdered sugar
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- salted roasted pistachios, shelled
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with waxed paper.
Prepare your ingredients. Using a nut chopper, finely chop the salted, roasted pistachios.
Preparing the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the all-purpose flour and food-grade lavender and mix just until combined.
Press dough into prepared cake pans. Flatten with hand to make a smooth surface. Using a sharp knife, score the dough into 16 wedges for each pan. Prick each wedge with a roller docker or a fork a few times. Refrigerate pans with dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
It’s important to score the cookies before they are baked, and then to cut them after they have cooled for ten minutes. Otherwise, they are prone to cracking.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden on the edge. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut through the score lines. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
Preparing the Glaze
While the shortbread cools, prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, whole milk and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl until smooth.
Holding cookies by the edge, dip the tops into the glaze to coat. Place on a wire rack and when you have 4-5 done, sprinkle each with chopped pistachios. Repeat with remaining cookies.
When you glaze the cookies, I found the simplest way was to just dip them in the glaze and then spread the icing with a knife to cover any missed areas. Be sure to add the crushed pistachios before the icing hardens or they won’t stick to the cookies.
Allow to set until the glaze has hardened. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. May store at room temperature for 7-10 days. These cookies also freeze very well.
This recipe makes 32 Lavender Pistachio Shortbread Cookies.
See more Tea Party Ideas Here. Browse Cookie Recipes Here.
Lavender Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Organic Lavender food grade
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios shelled and finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Gather all your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Line two-9" round cake pans with waxed paper. Prepare your ingredients. Using a knife or nut chopper, finely chop the pistachios.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add all-purpose flour and food-grade lavender and mix just until combined.
- Press dough into prepared cake pans. Flatten with hand to make a smooth surface. Using a sharp knife, score the dough into 16 wedges for each pan. Prick each wedge with a roller docker or a fork a few times. Refrigerate pans with dough until firm, about 30 minutes
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden on the edge. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut through the score lines. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
Make the Glaze:
- While the shortbread cools, prepare the glaze by whisking powdered sugar, whole milk and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl until smooth.
- Holding cookies by the edge, dip the tops into the glaze to coat. Place on a wire rack and when you have 4-5 done, sprinkle each with chopped pistachios. Repeat with remaining cookies. Allow to set until the glaze has hardened.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. May store at room temperature for 7-10 days. They also freeze well. Makes 32 cookies.