Much has
happened since my last post! I
played a monster solo recital last week, featuring a program that was the
musical equivalent of an ironman triathlon. My wonderful mother flew into town for the occasion, and I
was delighted that she could share in the big night and visit with all of my
friends. Mom made the most delectable Lavender Shortbread Cookies for the
post-recital reception, and it is my pleasure to share these little beauties
with you today.
My
post-recital parties are usually fairly simple affairs, usually with a few beautiful
cheeses, olives and grapes set out alongside some wine. But Mom wanted to make these lavender
cookies that my Aunt Barbara had baked on a recent visit, and I certainly
wasn’t going to say no.
Mom and I
have a long history of planning post-recital parties together. In fact, I got my start in the kitchen
because of the parties Mom threw for her piano students after their monthly
class recitals. I remember
marching into the kitchen during one of her pre-recital baking flurries when I
was six years old, announcing that I needed to learn how to bake and that I would
help her get ready for her party the next day.
Ever the
great teacher, she pulled up a chair for me at the counter so I could help her
measure ingredients and stir bowls of batter. From that time, I was hooked. She was endlessly
patient with me, even during those times when I couldn’t keep my little fingers
out of the cookie dough. I loved
being in the kitchen with her, and those are some of my happiest memories of
being a kid.
Even last
week on the recital day, Mom and I slipped back into our familiar rhythm,
preparing the table together and readying the apartment for the post-concert
party. She baked the cookies while
I warmed up and took a nap, and her calming presence helped me stay focused as
I got ready to run my musical marathon that night.
I had an
absolute blast sharing these incredible works of Bach, Ysaye, Paganini and Bartok with everyone, and it was an added
to joy to look out into the audience and see my beautiful mom there in the
front. There was much celebrating
afterwards and the bubbly flowed freely back at my apartment. And the lavender shortbread cookies
were the hit of the evening, as my friends and I were all blown away.
These
cookies are perfect—light yet buttery with a fine sandy texture. The dough is flecked with just enough
lavender so that the beguiling flavor comes through, but it doesn’t overpower
the cookie so that they taste soapy the way some lavender desserts can. I think they would be perfect with
afternoon tea, but I assure you that they also taste great with champagne. Regardless, these are cookies to share
with people you love.
One Year Ago: Fried Green Tomato BLT
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Ago: Lemon Verbena Poached Plums
Three
Years Ago: Eggplant Parmigiana
Four Years Ago: Amaretto Truffles
LAVENDER
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
From a recipe via my Aunt Barbara, which I believe is nearly identical to this one on the James Beard website.
I made
just a half-batch this afternoon for photographing, but I almost didn’t have
anything left to roll out and bake, for the dough is so good even in its raw
form! Make sure to cream the
butter and sugars together for the full 3 minutes, as this helps create the
light texture.
2 sticks
unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¼ cup
granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup
powdered sugar
¼
teaspoon salt
1 cup
all-purpose flour
1 cup
cake flour
1
Tablespoon fresh lavender buds (or 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds), coarsely
chopped
Beat the
butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar and salt together in a large bowl with
an electric mixer for 3 minutes until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
In a
medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and the cake flour. Add the flour mixture to the butter
mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the lavender buds and mix in just
till combined.
Turn the
dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and roll the dough out into a
rectangle about ½-inch thick. Wrap
the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
When
you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment
paper or a Silpat baking mat. Cut
the chilled dough into 1-x-2-inch rectangles and bake for 19 to 20 minutes
until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. (They will continue to cook after your remove them from the
oven, so make sure not to overbrown them---as I did here!) Remove the cookies
from the oven and immediately sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
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