Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

14 mins

Total time

1 hour 14 mins

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: About 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. culinary lavender
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• pure cane sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, sift together flour and salt. Set aside.
2. Place 1 Tbsp. of the granulated sugar, lavender, and lemon zest in a mortar and grind lightly with the pestle.
3. Place lavender mixture in large bowl with remaining sugar and butter. Cream together until smooth. Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture until it forms dough. Shape into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes (I used a 1 3/4 inch cutter) and place on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with some pure cane sugar, then place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Can be store in an airtight container for 5 days.

Time to start planting for the fall. But consider this

What to consider when planting crops in August: how fast they grow, and how frost-tolerant they are. Here are a few good crops to plant in August.

Fast-Growing Crops

These fast-growing crops can be planted early enough to avoid a frost:

1. Baby carrots – Harvest in 30 days.
2. Leaf lettuce – Harvest in 30 days.
3. Radishes – Harvest in 30 days.
4. Spinach – Harvest in 45 days.
5. Bush beans – Harvest in 40-65 days.

Survives Light Frost

If you generally experience light frosting early on, these crops are capable of surviving:

6. Kohlrabi – 50-60 days to maturity.
7. Leaf Lettuce – 30 days to maturity.

Frost-Tolerant Crops (Survives High 20s Fahrenheit)
These three crops can really extend your growing season past the first frost:

8. Beets – 50-60 days to maturity.
9. Green onions – 60-70 days to maturity.
10. Peas – 70-80 days to maturity.

Frost Tolerant Crops (Survives Low 20’s)
These crops are the hardiest of the hardiest. They will survive after everything else has died and is in your canning jars.

11. Cabbage – 50-90 days to maturity.
12. Collard Greens – 40-65 days to maturity.
13. Kale – 40-65 days to maturity.
14. Radishes – 30-60 days to maturity.
Again, depending on where you live, August doesn’t have to necessarily spell the end of your gardening season. By getting out of the old habit of planting only after the last frost, we can really extend our growing season.