LAVENDER THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Here is a favorite application for LNW’s Marionberry or Blueberry Lavender Preserves & Lemon Lavender Jelly.  This recipe requires a staged baking procedure during which the preserves are placed in a well formed on top of each incompletely baked cookie.  For this reason, it is recommended that you work with only one baking sheet at a time.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup [227 gm] Butter, unsalted, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup [150 gm] Sugar, baker’s fine
  • 2 Yolks of large eggs
  • 1 tsp [4.5 gm] Vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp [1 gm] Almond extract
  • [2-3 gm] Culinary lavender buds, finely ground
  • 2 cups [245 gm] Flour, unbleached all-purpose
  • 3/4 cup [75 gm] Almond flour, finely ground
  • 1/4 cup [40 gm] Cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp [3 gm] Salt
  • 3/4 cup [175 gm] Fruit preserves or jelly
  • Lavender extract
  • Extra granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Oven: 350ºF, convection bake or conventional bake.

  1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  2. Add egg yolks and mix well into the creamed butter and sugar.
  3. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, and the ground lavender bud.  Combine well.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, cornstarch, and salt.
  5. Add the dry ingredient mixture in portions, mixing until just combined.
  6. If the dough is warm and loose, cover and refrigerate up to an hour.
  7. Roll 1 Tbsp portions into balls, and roll in granulated sugar to coat lightly.  Place the balls on parchment lined cookie sheets.
  8. Use your thumb or a knuckle, a wooden dowel, or a rounded measuring spoon to create a 1/2 inch depression in the top of each cookie, flattening down the cookie slightly in the process.
  9. Bake 6-8 minutes and remove from the oven.  There should be virtually no browning at this point.  Immediately deepen the indentation with a spoon or wooden dowel, and fill with 1/2 tsp of lavender-scented jam, jelly or preserves (see note below).
  10. Return the cookies to the oven and bake another few minutes until the bottom edges are slightly browned.
  11. Remove from the oven and transfer to cooling racks.
  12.  YIELD: Approximately 40 cookies.  Store in air-tight containers, and freeze if desired.

LAVENDER-SCENTED PRESERVES AND JELLIES

In a small bowl, place a portion of your selected fruit preserves or jelly.  If needed, heat very gently in the microwave to loosen the structure and make it flow slightly.  Choose a sweet-smelling alcohol-based lavender extract from a L. angustifolia cultivar (a ‘Royal Velvet’ extract was used to test this recipe).  Add tiny amounts of lavender extract at a time, mixing well, and then tasting after each addition.  You want to reach the point where the lavender taste pops out clearly, understanding that its intensity will decrease during baking.

These cookies provide a good opportunity to use Lavender Northwest’s tasty lavender-scented Marionberry or blueberry preserves, or the delightful lemon lavender jelly.  Some of our member farmers and businesses may still have some in stock; check out the possibilities by searching the Lavender Northwest Marketplace.

Contributed by

Chris Mulder & Michael Lemmers

Barn Owl Nursery & RavenCroft

Edited & formatted by

Michael Lemmers

RavenCroft