Come Christmas everyone starts baking and filling up their empty cookie jars on the kitchen counter. People stick with legacy recipes handed down from their grandmothers to create batches perfect crispy-outside-chewy-inside cookies. I didn’t get time with my grandmother but I’m sure she never made cookies. When I was little, my mom would order Nan khatai cookies from the local baker and feed us on Christmas morning.

That’s my fondest memory of Christmas but not long after I discovered adorable sugar cookies in different shapes and sizes dressed in royal icing sold at small bakeries and patisseries back home. Ever since that, I hate to spend Christmas without sugar cookies.

This year I added my own twist to the traditional recipe. Sprinkled the cookie with some pixie dust (read: organic lavender) and voila! Thus, the birth of Lavender Vanilla Sugar Cookies. Incredibly easy to make and a fun activity to plan with kids. Just put out a bunch of different cookie cutters and I guarantee they’ll have a super fun play date.

Lavender Vanilla Sugar Cookies

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Prep time: 15 mins        |    Cooking time: 15 mins        |    Serves : 3-4
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serving suggestion: Decorated with royal icing
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ingredients:

• 1 and half cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt, only if using unsalted butter
• 1 tsp dried lavender
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Method:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt(optional), lavender(optional) in a bowl.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and egg. Add the flour and mix to combine properly.
3. Dump the flour on a floured surface. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Roll half the dough at a time to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Lay the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for another 10-15 mins. Till then, preheat oven to 350F.
5. Bake the cookies for not more than 7 mins on until slightly golden. After baking, cool them completely on a wire rack before icing.
6. Cookies are ready to be decorated with royal icing or sneak a couple of them as is.

Note 1: Punch one/top end of the cookie with a straw to create a hole. Insert a string/ribbon through the hole after the cookies are baked and create fun ornaments to hang onto your Christmas tree.
Note 2: Sugar cookies bake really quick so it’s always a good idea to keep checking after very 2-3 minutes.
Note 3: Refrigerating the dough twice ensure your cookie don’t burn or melt out of shape while baking.