“Lavender Cinnamon Stars”

Have you ever baked with lavender? I started experimenting with this flowery herb recently. That said, one of my favorite creations have been these Lavender Cinnamon Stars. Click here to see where I purchase my culinary lavender. I used my star shape cookie cutter here. Feel free to use whatever cookie cutter shape you want. I had a vision in my head the days I baked these cookies. You’re going to love these cookies as much as I do.

Lavender Cinnamon Stars

Lavender Cinnamon Stars
Gold and silver sanding sugar make these cookies very festive for the holidays

How about you and I talk about lavender for a moment. You know lavender as a calming herb used beauty, bath and candles to name a few. Moreover, the Mediterranean regions cook with lavender quite often. The one thing you need to remember when baking with lavender is a little goes a long way. Too much will leave your creations bitter and inedible. No fixing here…

Lavender Cinnamon Stars

Lavender Cinnamon Stars
A truly unexpected flavor combination. Delicious!

Lavender contains complex flavors in those little flowers. Rub between your fingers and immediately you get citrus, earthy, minty. Afterall, lavender is used for calming. That is the feeling you get when you eat this shortbread. Adding cinnamon because I love the citrusy warm flavor of Ceylon cinnamon. It just came to me. The citrus is not that tangy, lip-puckering sensation from juice yet that hint of citrus on your tongue. Ceylon tastes like cinnamon as you know it but not near as strong as Vietnamese cinnamon. Perfect for when you want a special touch of cinnamon in your recipes.

Lavender Cinnamon Stars

Lavender Cinnamon Stars
Easy to make using any cutter if desired

If you’ve made cookie dough for cutout cookies before, same rules apply to this recipe. Have all your ingredients at room temperature and chill your dough for at least 1 hour before rolling and baking. Cut cookies at least 1/4-inch thick and do not overbake. Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

Decorating these cookies was super simple. The glaze is thin and can poured over the cookies from a measuring cup then sprinkle on gold and silver sanding sugar. You’ll find the glaze takes about 30 minutes to an hour to set.

Grab your favorite star cookie cutter and bake a batch with the kids. They’ll love these cookies too. You know how the kids love to decorate. Fun! Fun! Happy Baking!

Lavender Cinnamon Stars

Lavender Cinnamon Stars
Don’t make the mistake I made, place cookies on wire rack before glazing

 

Lavender Cinnamon Stars

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 t. vanilla bean paste

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ t. baking powder

½ t. fine sea salt

½ t. Penzeys Ceylon ground cinnamon

1 ½ t. dried culinary lavender, crushed

White chocolate chips, melted or glaze for drizzling

Gold and silver sanding sugar, for sprinkling

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and sugar for 3 – 4 minutes until light and fluffy and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Add in egg and vanilla bean paste and mixing until well combined.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and lavender. Gradually add in flour mixture until combined.

Place on dough floured board and divide in half. Work dough until smooth and form disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Roll disk at least ¼-inch thick and using a star cookie cutter. Cut cookies and place 1-nch apart on prepared cookie sheets. I recommend keeping dough chilled.

Bake cookies for 10 – 12 minutes depending on thickness and cookies are lightly browned on edges.

Cool for 1 minute and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Place cooled cookies on parchment paper and drizzle with white chocolate. Allow chocolate to set until dry.

Store cookies in airtight container up to 1 week.

 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Note: Make sugar glaze by whisking 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 to 3 T. milk until smooth. Pour over cookies and decorate as desired. Allow glaze to set 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving or storing.

 

 

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