Lavender Shortbread

Lavender has firmly established itself as a fashionable ingredient. No longer the preserve of old ladies and bars of soap, it lends a delicate and sophisticated flavour to baking.

There are many ways of incorporating this herb into your recipes. For this shortbread, I infused a jar of caster sugar with dried lavender leaves for a few days, in order to allow the flavour to permeate. The leaves can be separated from the sugar by sieving if you wish, but I think the flecks of purple are what make these tasty little biscuits so attractive.

Best enjoyed with a cup of freshly brewed tea and a slice of lemon.

These will last up to a week in an airtight container. 

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, softened

85g lavender sugar (shop bought or homemade)

170g plain flour

60g self-raising flour

30g rice flour 

Pinch of salt

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan) and lightly grease a baking tray.

2.  Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I use an electric hand mixer).

3.  Sift in the three flours and mix until you have a firm paste (your hands are your best utensils for     this one).

4.  Cover the mixture in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

5.  When the dough has firmed, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface to about the width of a £1 coin.

6.  Cut out your biscuits into the shape of your choice (I use a scone cutter).

7.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden.

8.   Allow to cool completely, and enjoy!