Reads and Treats: The French Garden

Let a staple of a the classic French garden inspire you in the kitchen. Lavender punches up this special cocktail recipe and makes a great addition to shortbread.

BEE’S KNEES

This is an old-fashioned cocktail and often considered the gin drink for the non-gin drinker. Your house will smell like the middle of summer in Provence while you’re making the Lavender Honey Syrup for this recipe.

Servings: 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz lavender honey syrup
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly picked lavender blossoms

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a shaker full of ice. Shake vigorously for 10 full seconds. Double strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lavender sprig.

Lavender Honey Syrup

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/8 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon lavender

INSTRUCTIONS

Lavender Honey Syrup

Combine hot water with honey and stir until evenly mixed. Add lavender, stirring to combine. Let cool, approximately 30 minutes, then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove lavender.

And while you’re at it, having picked the lavender blossoms, make a bunch of these cookies. There is no reason not to enjoy a couple of these with your Bee’s Knees.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on cookies
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh lavender
  

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and salt until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose and cake flours. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Add the lavender and mix to just combine.

Roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cut the dough into 2 x 1-inch bars and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies until just golden at the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let cool completely before serving.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.