Lavender cookies
A few days ago I visited the Hitchin Lavendar farm just down the road from me... it's a beautiful place. A huge field of lavender in different varieties. You are given a paper bag and a pair of scissors when you go through the gate and can then pick as much as you like to fill your bag for the £4 it cost to enter. Amazing!
Of course I then wanted to make all things Lavender. I have tied little bunches of lavender and have them hanging in the garage drying out so that I can make lots of body products and room fragrances.
The lavender isn't suitable for culinary purposes BUT I have a happy ending there because I have recently be trying out a few new ingredients from Steenbergs including culinary lavender! I really love their stuff (especially their beautiful packaging in little glass jars) and have been buying their spices for years but hadn't branched out into the more unusual ingredients.
A few week ago a sent them an email and asked if I could test out and review some of their products, they were really keen to get involved and have offered a giveaway too! Yay... I'm excited because I know you'll love their stuff too! I'll launch the giveaway in a week or so, but but in the meantime I have some recipes... first up lavender cookies.
These are lightly sweetened (add a litre extra sugar if needed) and flavoured with the subtle floral lavender fragrance. I also added a touch of rosewater to compliment the lavender, but you could omit this if you don't have it to hand. Fun cookies for summer time! Both Steenbergs ingredients are beautiful, high quality and organic, as it the entire range. Go check them out here if you haven't heard if them before and are based in the UK.
I've used spelt flour in these cookies, which I appreciate is not gluten free. I have not yet tried a version with gluten free flours, though my first instinct would be to try oat flour for a rustic touch or a blend of buckwheat and brown rice flours. If you do try your own gluten-free version me know how it works out for you!
Tell me, have you ever used lavender in you baking before?
Recipe: Lavender cookies
Makes approx 8-10 cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour (or white)
- 1 tbs flax mixed with 3tbs warm water
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or other unrefined sugar (plus 1 tsp to for top)
- 1 tsp rosewater extract (I used Steenbergs)
- 1 tbs lavender (I used Steenbergs)
Method
Mix the spelt, almonds and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Using your fingers rub the coconut oil into the mixture until you have coarse crumbs. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix through, using you hands to form a soft ball of dough. If it doesn’t hold together easily add a few extra drops of water.
Roll out on a lined baking sheet. Score into squares or use a cookie cutter to make shapes. Bake for approx 15 minutes at 180C until golden.
Note: I was sent some of Steenbergs products to test and review but I am also a long time lover of the brand and all opinions are my own.
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