Author: story of a kitchen (design from arty mcgoo's blog http://artymcgoo.blogspot.com/2012/04/lets-smell-flowers.html and royal using from sweet sugar belle's blog http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2014/02/royal-icing-for-cookie-decorating/)
Recipe type: dessert
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: at least 1 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Recipe for royal icing - I used sweet sugar belle's (http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2014/02/royal-icing-for-cookie-decorating/ ):
5 tablespoons meringue powder (45 grams, on my measure)
2 to 3 teaspoons oil-free extract (I use vanilla)
½ to ¾ cups warm water
Juniper green food gel
Purple food gel
pearl dust + vodka
Instructions
MIXING: Measure and sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl or in mixer bowl with paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and the sugar. Once smooth, add the eggs, almond extract and combine well.
Add the dry flour mixture to the butter / egg mixture, but by bit. Mix until the dough is smooth.It will be thick.
Shape into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour, though overnight works. You can freeze the dough here too (but thaw in the fridge before using).
ROLLING: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you chilled the dough more than an hour, allow it to warm very slightly to encourage better roll out. Roll between long pieces of parchment, to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and to obviate the need for any extra flour. Roll to between ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out rectangles and bake for about 8 minutes, or until tops are matte. Cool slightly before removing from pan and cooling on rack. Wait at least 2 days before icing the cookies. You can freeze them for months, thaw in the fridge, and ice.
ICING: Find a tutorial on flood icing and piping icing consistencies. There is no one way to do this; you need to find your preferences. Piping icing needs to pretty thick for the lavender buds and stems. I don't pipe the white base at all: I just use a thick flood icing to make the white "canvas" for the flowers.
Whip up the icing: Begin by stirring the extract into half the water (start with ¼ cup).
Using a paddle attachment, gently mix the sugar and meringue powder. No need to sift.
Set the mixer on its lowest setting slowly and add the water/extract mix to the dry ingredients. The icing will become thick and lumpy as the water is added. Don't worry! It will become smooth.
Continue to add the remaining water (this may or may not be the entire amount) until the mixture reaches a thick, honey-like consistency.
Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip 2 to 4 minutes until the icing is thick and fluffy. You want a soft peak consistency.
Divide up a small amount for each purple and green coloring, and set aside. The remaining untinted icing will be the canvas for the flowers. If you do not need to use all of the royal icing at once, it keeps well for about a week, untinted, at room temperature and well wrapped. Just remix it if the water starts to separate.
Thin the white icing for the cookies slightly. Again, look at tutorials for a a thick flood consistency. Pipe on the white icing on each cookie and allow to dry at least overnight.
The next day, tint your reserve piping icing. You want the sweet pinky purple lavender color for the flowers and a dusty green for the stems.
Follow my design (or even better, the original artist, Arty McGoo) for the look you want to achieve and allow to dry overnight.
Mix a small dab of pearl dust and vodka together. With a small paintbrush, dab the stems with this. This gives the lavender a realistic silvery glow. Lovely! Allow to dry, admire your art, then gift to wonderful friends.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/dessert-recipes/lavender-sugar-cookies-recipe/