Lavender Tea Cookies

A British friend made these for me when I visited her in 1999 and I've been making them every since. They are very buttery and spread like crazy while baking, but you can almost hear the bees buzzing on the lavender when you try one. I kept the recipe to myself for quite a while and only shared it with another friend when she remarked how good they were. Now, they are a standard in HER home and a perennial favourite at her church's bake sale! Very good when served with a cuppa hot tea, especially Earl Grey. And please don't be tempted to add salt or vanilla extract; this is just a plain buttery lavender cookie.

• Ready In: 22 mins
• Yields: 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 2⁄3 cup  superfine sugar (minus 1 tablespoon!)
• 1  egg, beaten
• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour (minus 1 tablespoon)
• 1  tablespoon  dried lavender flowers, slightly ground with a mortar and pestle

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar together by hand.
3. Add egg and beat until well combined.
4. Stir in the flour and lavender flowers until well combined.
5. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, drop dough by tablespoon, spacing at least 3 inches apart, allowing for the cookie to spread out.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden brown and the edges tinge brown.
7. *They will be very soft until cooled on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container; they are better the 2nd day, if they last that long.