Honey Lavender Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
One of my favorite summer flavor combinations is lavender and honey. Because I also love cookies, I decided to use these flavors to create a variation of my favorite sourdough shortbread cookie recipe. The result is a buttery cookie that is crisp on the edges, soft in middle, and finished with a sweet lavender honey glaze. This honey lavender shortbread cookie is truly the perfect summer sourdough treat.
Why You Will Love these Sourdough Cookies
What I love about these cookies is they can be made start to finish in a few hours. Sourdough cookie recipes often require a long chill time but not these cookies! Although you can chill them to make the dough ahead of time, this is not necessary.
The only waiting time you’ll have making these cookies is the time it takes the cookies to cool down before glazing, and waiting for the glaze to set.
If you are in a rush, you can even skip the glaze and these cookies will still taste amazing.
How to Use Sourdough Starter in Shortbread
The trick with using sourdough starter in shortbread cookies is to avoid making the dough too wet. Make sure you use starter that is 100% hydration. This means it should be fed with equal parts water and flour. You can add a little water or flour to your starter if you need to adjust the hydration.
Feel free to use either active sourdough starter or sourdough discard straight from the fridge or at room temperature. The results will be similar whether your starter is active or not.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.
- Sugar: I recommend granulated white sugar for this recipe. Although brown sugar lends excellent flavor, we do not want to add any additional moisture to this recipe so I would not substitute it here.
- Sourdough starter: You can use active starter or sourdough discard. See notes above.
- Vanilla: For the best flavor, I highly recommend using pure vanilla extract but you can also substitute vanilla paste or imitation vanilla.
- Salt
- Lavender buds: You may need to order these if your local grocery store does not sell these. Many health food stores or specialty tea stores will sell plain lavender buds that you can use. Bonus points if you grow your own!
- Flour: I would only use all purpose flour or bread flour for these cookies. Whole wheat flour has too strong of a flavor and will compete with the delicate flavors in these cookies.
For the Glaze
- Water
- Lavender buds
- Butter: Feel free to use either salted or unsalted butter here.
- Honey
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar cannot be substituted for the glaze. It is the only ingredient that will allow the glaze to solidify.
- Ube powder: Ube powder comes from a variety of purple sweet potato and creates a beautiful natural food coloring. This ingredient is completely optional but I love using it to make the glaze pop.
How to Make Honey Lavender Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
Make the Cookies
Step 1: Crush the lavender buds.
Step 2: Cream together the butter and sugar.
Step 3: Add the sourdough discard, lavender, vanilla and salt.
Step 4: Slowly add the flour and mix until combined.
Step 5: Shape the dough into a 12 inch log.
Step 6: Roll the log of cookie dough in the remaining sugar.
Step 7: Cut the cookies into 1/3” slices and place on baking sheet.
Step 8: Bake at 375F for 12-15 minutes.
Step 9: Allow to cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Glaze
Step 1: Steep the lavender buds in warm water for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Strain the buds out, reserving the infusion water.
Step 3: Whisk in the honey, melted butter, ube powder, and powdered sugar.
Step 4: Dip half of each cookie in glaze then transfer back to wire rack to set. Sprinkle with extra lavender buds (optional).
How to Store
I recommend storing these cookies in a large airtight container or allow size ziplock bag. They can also be stored on a plate covered with plastic wrap but I find that they do not stay fresh quite as long with this method. For best results, use within 4 days, up to 1 week.
Honey Lavender Sourdough Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sourdough starter active starter or discard straight from the fridge
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lavender buds
- 2¼ cup all purpose flour
For Coating the Shortbread Dough
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Honey Glaze
- 1 tablespoon water plus ½ tablespoon if needed to thin the glaze
- 1 teaspoon lavender buds
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoons ube powder optional for color
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Place the lavender buds in a small ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the lavender into a mostly fine powder. There will still be some large pieces of plant matter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed.
- Add the sourdough starter, salt, vanilla extract, and crushed lavender. Continue to mix until fully combined.
- On low speed, slowly add the flour. Mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the dough to a work surface and roll it into a long cylinder measuring about 12 inches long.
- Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar along the long edge of the cylinder and roll the dough to coat all sides.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into approximately ⅓" discs.
- Transfer to prepared cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
To Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl, mix the water with the lavender buds. Microwave the mixture for 10 seconds to warm it. Allow to infuse for 15 minutes.
- Strain the lavender buds from the infused water and add the water to a separate small mixing bowl.
- Add the honey, melted butter, ube powder (if using ) and powdered sugar and whisk to combine. If needed, thin the glaze with up to ½ tablespoon of additional water.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper under your wire rack to catch the excess glaze.
- Dip half of each cookie in the glaze and return to the drying rack. Sprinkle with a few extra lavender buds for garnish if desired.
- Allow the glaze to completely set before serving.
Do these freeze well?
Hi Jill,
Yes you can freeze the dough or freeze them after you make them. They hold up very well in the freezer. I wouldn’t leave them beyond 2-3 months in the freezer or they might start tasting a little freezer burnt.