Mary Berry’s Lavender Biscuits (Shortbread Cookies)
Mary Berry’s Lavender Biscuits have a crunchy sugar edge, subtle lavender flavor and smell, and melt in the mouth shortbread for a great British cookie.
Table of contents
I’ve always wanted to try a dessert with lavender in it but I had absolutely no idea what it was going to taste like. But in watching the Great British Bake Off it seems to me like lavender is quite a popular flavor.
When I saw Lavender Biscuits in Mary Berry’s Baking Bible I knew it was time to try it out. At least in these cookies, lavender is more of a subtle hint than a smack you in the face flavor. Which is probably a good thing because no one wants to be reminded of soap!
Ingredients
- softened butter
- fresh or dried lavender (see notes on lavender below)
- sugar
- all purpose flour
- demerara or turbinado sugar
If you are lucky you might be able to find demerara sugar in your local grocery store. If you cannot find demerara, look for turbinado sugar which is the closest match because of it’s large chunky crystals.
Notes on sourcing lavender
If you are lucky enough to have a lavender plant then use that if you have it. Dried lavender has a stronger taste than fresh lavender so be sure you check the ingredients list for how much to use of each.
From what I found, dried lavender is incredibly hard to source in smaller amounts although larger bags are available on Amazon.
The Spice House has small amounts of dried lavender available for a limited time of the year but I used their lavender vanilla sugar since that was what I had on hand.
How to make these cookies
- Prepare 2 cookie sheets with either cooking spray or by using a silicone liner.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and lavender together. If using lavender sugar move on to the next step.
- Add the granulated sugar to the butter and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour and beat just until it all comes together.
- Use your hands to knead the mixture gently until it is nice and smooth.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 6 inch long tube.
- Pour the turbinado sugar onto a small plate and roll each sausage in the sugar coating the whole thing.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, parchment, or foil and place in refrigerator until the rolls are firm, between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the cookie rolls from their wrapping and cut into approximately 1/2″ slices. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 1/2″ apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until cookies are a light golden brown along the edges. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.Â
Top Tips
Keep these cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.Â
These make a good slice and bake cookie to freeze and share with friends or neighbors. Bake for 2-3 minutes longer than you would the unfrozen cookies or until the cookies are that beautiful light golden brown color.
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 2 Tbsp lavender fresh, chopped or 1 Tbsp dried
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus additional if needed
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar or demerara if you have it
Instructions
- Prepare 2 cookie sheets with either cooking spray or by using a silicone liner.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and lavender together. If using lavender sugar move on to the next step.
- Add the granulated sugar to the butter and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour and beat just until it all comes together.
- Use your hands to knead the mixture gently until it is nice and smooth.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 6 inch long tube.
- Pour the turbinado sugar onto a small plate and roll each sausage in the sugar coating the whole thing.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, parchment, or foil and place in refrigerator until the rolls are firm, between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the cookie rolls from their wrapping and cut into approximately 1/2″ slices. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 1/2′ apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until cookies are a light golden brown along the edges. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible
i felt like i was missing a wet ingredient after mixing all the dry.
i was not able to form dough into “sausage” since it was sooo dry.
I’m so sorry that you had trouble with this recipe Jane. There was a typo in the recipe for the sugar which added an extra 1/4 cup. I’m very sorry for the mistake. If you still have the dough, you can salvage it by adding an extra 3 ounces of softened butter, 1 Tablespoon lavender, and an extra cup of flour. Hope this helps.
Does the current recipe online above reflect the right amount of sugar? How much should I use?
Hi Allan, yes, the above recipe has been updated and the amount is correct
Yum, I would love these and lavender is so relaxing. I bet they were a hit around your house. I can’t wait to try them. Thank you for sharing!