Lavender Shortbread for the Summer Solstice

The lavender in our garden is looking fabulous, and the many visiting bees we welcome every day think so, too!  I've been expanding my culinary herb horizons this season, and I thought about what to bake for this Summer Solstice, Lavender Shortbread came to mind, and wouldn't leave.  Recipe decision settled!  Out into the garden I went, scissors in hand to bring in some of the beautiful and fragrant blooms.

I used the Lavendar Shortbread recipe from Renee's Garden

Review:  Because this was my first-ever use of culinary lavender, I wanted to taste it by itself.  Therefore, I omitted the mint.  And, because I didn't have any lavender powered sugar, I used confectioner's sugar.  My little "baking assistants" were excited to note that the dough was egg-free.  (This freed them up to lick their spoons once the mixing was finished!)  The cookies passed Quality Control with flying colors.  The cookies had a delightful floral note, which some of my tasters mis-identified as vanilla.  This recipe is a keeper!

 

  

  

Enjoy!

Now celebrating: a rabbit birthday!

The other day, T announced that we needed to bake a cake.  Why?  Well, of course, because it was Rabbie's birthday.  And, we didn't need just any old cake.  It needed to be a carrot cake.  Why?  Because carrots are Rabbie's favorite vegetable.  (In case you are keeping close notes, T added that cherries are her favorite fruit.)

It just wasn't possible to crank out a cake that day.  No problem!  T moved the birthday.  Today's the day!

Cake production commenced.  It had been a while since I pulled the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book out (it used to be my go-to book, but then Google was developed...), but I had a feeling that it would contain a basic Carrot Cake recipe for Rabbie's special occasion.  BHG didn't disappoint.  I grated, and stirred, and baked.

In honor of the coincidence with Valentine's Day, I pulled the heart-shaped cookie cutter off the drying rack, and pressed it back into service.  Because I intended to send some of the "results" to some other recipients, I opted to put the frosting inside, rather than on top of, the hearts.

Voila!  (For reference, yes, the cake hearts traveled well in their containers.)

Here's the birthday girl, complete with her birthday crown: