Lilac Sugar Shortbread
Lilac Sugar Shortbread is made with one of the most aromatic edible flowers, and makes a lovely variation on a classic buttery shortbread cookie for brunches, showers, and afternoon tea.
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
For the lilac sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh lilac blossoms (common lilac varieties like Syringa vulgaris), stems and leaves removed
For the shortbread cookies
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup lilac sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup fresh lilac blossoms, stems and leaves removed
Instructions
For the lilac sugar
- To make the lilac sugar, add the sugar and the lilac blossoms to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. The sugar should take on a pale lilac hue. This makes about 1 cup of sugar, in order to fit the bowl of a standard food processor, but you will only need 1/2 cup for the shortbread recipe. (you can make just 1/2 cup of sugar in a small capacity food processor, if you have one)
For the shortbread cookies
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add the flour, butter, 1/2 cup of the lilac sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine, continuing until the dough comes together into a single clump.
- Remove the dough from the food processor to a lightly floured surface, and roll out the dough into a rectangle. Scatter about half of the whole lilac blossoms over the dough, and then fold the dough a couple times to work them in, and re-roll it out into a rough rectangle. I like to divide my dough in half and do this twice.
- Scatter the remaining lilac blossoms over the dough, and roll the dough out until it is about 1/4-1/3 inch thick, making sure the lilac blossoms are well embedded into the dough. Use your fingers to gently press them in, if needed.
- Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter, or other circular cutter, cut out about 24 cookies and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until just barely starting to turn golden on the edges. Remove and allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving.
Nutrition
Calories: 122 kcal · Carbohydrates: 12 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 8 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 20 mg · Sodium: 26 mg · Potassium: 14 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 4 g · Vitamin A: 236 IU · Calcium: 4 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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