More Lavender - Something Sweet

Lavender Lemon Sorbet and Shortbread

     After recently trying quite a lot of lavender infused savory dishes, I thought I was done experimenting for a while. However, Roy was given a mini ice cream maker for Father's Day which had never been out of the box and someone I was tutoring brought me a wonderful shortbread cookie.  I kept thinking about a couple of recipes I had come across for lavender sorbet and lavender shortbread. I gave in to the temptation to try them out!  The sorbet would be great served in a shot glass as a palate cleanser, but here I used a juice glass.   The shortbread is flakey, buttery and is great with a cup of tea.  Like I did before, I reduced the amount of lavender in each recipe and tweaked the instructions a bit, but credit is given below to their origin sources.


Lavender Lemon Sorbet
Adapted from http://whatscookingamerica.net

1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon culinary lavender flowers
5 tablespoons of lemon juice

Put the sugar and water in a pan and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the lavender flowers and the lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes.  Place a strainer over the bowl and pour the mixture through it.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Then follow the directions for your ice cream maker.  Or, put your covered bowl in the freezer until it is semi-solid. Then, stir it up and put it back in the freezer for several hours.  When ready to serve just scoop it up and put into serving dishes.



A word to the wise - this melts quickly outside on a hot summer night!

    

Lavender Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Adapted from http://allrecipes.com

This makes about 24 cookies

3/4 cup butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

1/4 teaspoon culinary lavender, crushed

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and two sugars until it looks light and fluffy.  Then mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Butter a good size piece of foil and with buttered hands, shape the dough into a "loaf" and place it on the foil.  Wrap it up and refrigerate it for at least an hour.  After it is chilled cut the dough every 1/4 of an inch and place the slices on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.  Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.  The edges should just be getting browned.

Check out the pictures below!