LAVENDER-LEMON COOKIES, TWO WAYS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

One cookie dough, two outcomes. Rolled out and cut in circles, or baked in a silicone mold, then covered with chocolate. This approach is similar to a strawberry version I made not too long ago (check it out here).

LAVENDER-LEMON SUGAR COOKIE
(inspired by 100 Cookies, by Sarah Kieffer)

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon culinary lavender
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon extract or paste
2 cups all-purpose flour

for the glaze:
1/3 cup milk (you won’t need the full amount)
1/8 tsp lemon extract
1 + 1/2 cup powdered sugar

to coat the roses:
compound chocolate, white
purple oil-soluble food dye, tiny amount

sprinkles to decorate the cutout cookies (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, process the granulated sugar, lavender and lemon zest together until the lavender buds are broken down. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the lavender-sugar and salt, and beat again on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Remove the dough, form into a circle and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roll the cookie dough and cut circles, about 3 inches in diameter. Use a portion of the dough to form small balls and stick in a rose shaped silicone mold. Bake the cookies in a 350F oven, circles until lightly golden at the edges (about 15 minutes), small roses until firm to the touch, it might take a little longer than the cutout cookies.

To finish the little rose cookies: Once the roses are cold, place the mold in the freezer for 10 minutes and then remove the baked cookies to a rack. Wash the mold, dry well. Melt white compound chocolate, divide in two portions. Leave one white, dye the other purple (using very little oil-soluble color). Marble them together, pour into the mold and immediately stick the shaped cookies. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, un-mold and if needed shave the bottom with a Microplane to tidy the edges.

To finish the rolled out cookies: make a glaze mixing the powdered sugar with milk and lemon extract until the consistency is right, not too thick, not too thin. Add the milk, a little bit at a time to the powdered sugar. Coat the baked, room temperature cookies with the glaze, then add sprinkles to decorate, if so desired. Let it set for a couple of hours.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These cookies are very flavorful, the lavender won’t be too pronounced, just right. In the cookbook, she uses a different type of glaze, that did not work very well for me, and she sprinkled the cookies with lavender, that was a bit much for my taste. Do what you feel agrees with your tastebuds.

It is not very easy to get the chocolate coating to be fully smooth, at least I seem to have some problems with it. Maybe pouring the chocolate while warmer and banging the mold a bit on the countertop could help, but keep in mind you’ll need to work reasonably fast, as you will have several cookies to coat at once. I would not try to make more than eight at a time. Even if not fully smooth, these are delicious and I love the way they turned out…

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1Jun2026

STRAWBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES, TWO WAYS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

One cookie dough, two different outcomes. Not sure which one I loved most, but the rolled out and cut as circles is obviously the simplest and easiest. But, how to resist little tiny strawberry shaped cookies, coated in chocolate?

STRAWBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
(slightly modified from Bakes by Brown Sugar)

320 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
15 grams strawberry powder
227 grams unsalted butter room temperature
114 grams granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Strawberry Glaze
1 cup (115 grams) powdered sugar
5g strawberry powder
3-5 teaspoons whole milk

Mix the flour, strawberry powder and salt in a bowl. Reserve.

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add all the flour-strawberry mixture at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until all the dry ingredients are combined and the dough forms into a cohesive dough ball. The dough will be crumbly at first but then form into a dough ball. Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle and lightly flour the top of the dough.

Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or perforated silicone mat. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake the cookies for 20-23 minutes.

Make the glaze: place the powdered sugar and strawberry powder in a bowl. Add 3 teaspoons of milk and stir until the mixture is creamy and smooth and there are no lumps. The glaze will be thick. If you want a thinner glaze, add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.

Holding each cookie on their sides, dip the top of the of the cookie into the glaze. Press down slightly to ensure the whole of the top side is covered. Lift the cookie up and shake off any excess glaze. Place the cookie back on the wire rack and let the glaze set. Decorate with fondant or chocolate pieces.

To make strawberry shaped cookies, press the cookie dough in the cavities of a silicone mold (I used this one), and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes. Let it cool completely in the mold before removing the cookies. Wash the mold and dry well. Paint melted compound chocolate dyed red and green carefully in the cavities, then drop the baked cookie back inside. Place in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to solidity the chocolate. Carefully remove the coated cookies, use a Microplane if you need to adjust the edges.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This delicious cookie recipe comes from a former contestant of The Great American Baking Show, participant before my time, Cheryl. I subscribe to her blog, and invite you to visit clicking here. I modified her recipe to use a product I am quite fond of, strawberry powder. Easier to use than freeze-dried, although you will have to cave and support the Evil Empire to get some. I have never seen it sold in grocery stores in my town. The cookies are absolutely delicious, you could skip the glaze but I urge you not to. Just wonderful! Thank you, Cheryl!

The little strawberries were a bit more involved to make, but they were a big hit when I donated them. I know some have issues using compound chocolate, but it does a good job here. Not too hard to bite into, and if you use a nice brand, it tastes fine. Just take your time painting the inside of the strawberry. Do the green part first, let it set, then come with the red all over it, and immediately place the cookie inside.

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3May2026

LEMONS, FOUR WAYS

Posted in Cake, Cookies, Desserts by sallybr

If you are a lemon lover, this post is for you. A fantastic five-layer cake, deliciously chewy cookies, baby little “pies”, and a posset. Let’s start with the cake, maybe my favorite of this series, courtesy of Helen Fetcher, my beloved baking guru…

SPLIT LEMON LAYER CAKE
(from Helen Fletcher’s blog)

for the lemon filling, to be made the day before:
4 large egg yolks
1 ¼ cups water
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
⅓ cup cornstarch (45 grams)
½ teaspoon table salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45 grams)
1 tablespoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)

for the cake:
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sour cream (225 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour (300 grams)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
1 tablespoon 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 large lemons)
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)

for the lemon buttercream:
1 pound powdered sugar
1 cup lemon fillng
¼ cup butter, softened (60 grams or 4 tablespoons)

Make the lemon filling: Whisk everything together in a medium size sauce pan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Transfer to a storage container, cover the top of the filling with plastic wrap and let come to room temperature. Store in the fridge for 2 days. or at least overnight to firm up.

Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and spray the paper only. Try not to spray the sides. If you do, wipe them with a paper towel. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ¼ cup sour cream and vanilla. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low for 30 seconds to blend. Add the softened butter and remaining ¾ cup sour cream. Mix on low until moistened. Then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 ½ minutes. Add the egg mixture in three additions, beating on medium 30 seconds each time, scraping down as necessary.

Dollop the batter in the half sheet pan. Using and offset spatula, spread it out evenly. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack until cold. At this point, it can be frozen in its pan well wrapped. Or you can refrigerate and continue assembling the cake later. It is easier to deal with layered cakes when they are very cold, so keep that in mind.

Make the lemon buttercream: Add all the ingredients to a mixing bow. Beat on low to bring together. Raise the speed to medium and beat until smooth. Raise it again to high and beat for 5 or more minutes until light and smooth with no grittiness from the powdered sugar.

Visit Helen’s site for a clear visualization on how to cut the cake to obtain 5 equal layers and one extra that will be processed for crumbs. You will use 1/4 cup of lemon filling spread over the layers, and then frost the cake with the buttercream, glueing cake crumbs to the sides and making a pattern with a cake comb on top. If desired, add some piped buttercream with a 1M tip or another one of your preference. Allow the cake to to sit in the fridge for a few hours before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I urge you to visit Helen’s site to get the detailed step-by-step photos. Helen makes the most complex bakes feel simple and approachable. This cake is spectacular, and the use of cake crumbs glued to the sides makes frosting a lot less stressful. It is incredibly lemony. Thank you, Helen!

CHEWY LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

CHEWY LEMON SUGAR COOKIES
(from Scientifically Sweet)

⅔ cup (150g) salted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (225g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 large egg room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder ee notes in above FAQ section for baking powder quantity alternatives)
¼ teaspoon salt

Lemon Sugar:
3 tablespoon (40g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine soft butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg and mix until well incorporated. Add egg yolk, vanilla and lemon juice then mix until smooth and creamy.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly incorporated. The dough will be soft but not sticky at this point.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Make the lemon sugar. Combine sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and rub it together until the sugar smells fragrant.

Use a cookie scoop to portion dough and roll into smooth balls. Roll the balls of dough in the sugar so they are evenly coated.

Place dough balls on the lined baking trays spacing them 3 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes until lightly golden on the edges and still slightly soft in the middle.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These cookies are addictive, they have a super clean and bright citric flavor, and perfect texture. I made them on a Wednesday and donated two days later, so I tried one to make sure it was still ok, and had to exercise self-control to keep my taste-test to a single cookie. Make them, and you can thank me later!

BABY LEMON IMPOSSIBLE PIES
recipe can be found here

Those are simple to make, and a lot of fun to serve and enjoy… Not quite sure why they are called “pies” but whatever you call them, they won’t disappoint.

LEMON POSSET

LEMON POSSET
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
5 Tbsp lemon juice
blueberries, optional for serving

In a small saucepan, heat the cream and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so it doesn’t boil over and keep it at a medium boil for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a large measuring cup with a pouring lip.
Divide the mixture between 6 ramekins, filling them about 3/4 of the volume.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully set, then top with blueberries, if you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I love lemons in sweet and savory concoctions, so I hope you’ll give some – or all – of this recipes a try…

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10Mar2026

GEOMETRIC HEART BUTTER COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

A little labor of love, these cookies are adorable and will brighten up any special occasion. You’ll need a special silicone mold, but other than that, it is all pretty straightforward.

GEOMETRIC HEART BUTTER COOKIES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen, adapted from several sources)

240g unsalted butter, at room temperature
140g powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
260g flour
20g cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt

Candy melts or compound chocolate of your choice, white and pink
sprinkles for decoration
Diamond dust pump

Mix the flour with cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Reserve. Add the butter to the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer, and using the paddle attachment, mix it for a couple of minutes until soft and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, mix on low, then increase the speed to medium and mix for a couple more minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until all is incorporated, then add the reserved flour mixture.

Mix until all flour is incorporated and there are no dried bits anywhere. Fill the cavities of the mold with the cookie dough, 3/4 to the top, making sure to allow a little space for expansion. Ideally, you want the cookie to bake flush with the top of the mold.

Bake at 325F until the cookies are set in the center, that might take about 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely over a rack. If you want to be extra safe, place the cool mold in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before un-molding.

Remove the cookies, wash the molds and use them to melt compound chocolate and do the final coating and decoration.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: To bake the cookies, you will need a silicone pan such as this one. The cookies will take longer to bake in the mold than they would shaped and baked on a baking sheet. Also, you need to let them cool completely before attempting to un-mold. Wash the pan, dry it well, and use it to pour a base of melted compound chocolate (I used white and pink, marbled together). Place the cookies gently back over the melted chocolate and freeze the whole tray for 15 minutes. Additional melted chocolate and sprinkles make the cookies even more festive, but of course, that step is optional.

These cookies would be perfect for an engagement party, a wedding anniversary, a teenage girl Birthday, or simply to offer to someone you really love!

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13Feb2026

BAKING WITH LOVE

Posted in Cake, Cookies by sallybr

Valentine’s Day is just about here! Today I share a few ideas to sweeten up this special weekend… Make sure to visit my cookie blog tomorrow for a series of cookies that celebrate love. And now, let’s get started, shall we?

I open this post with a Vanilla Pound Cake with Hibiscus Glaze

VANILLA POUND CAKE WITH HIBISCUS GLAZE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

for the cake:
3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature (one regular package)
2 + 1/2 cups (500g) sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
6 Eggs, at room temperature
3 cups (375g) flour

for the glaze:
3 tablespoons hibiscus tea
200g powdered sugar
squeeze of lemon juice

Heat oven to 325F.

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar with hand mixer until light and fluffy. Pound cakes do not contain leavening agent, so make sure to work the butter until fluffy. Add salt and vanilla, beat well.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Gradually mix in the three cups of flour.

Pour into well greased bundt pan. Bake for about 90 minutes, covering with foil if the top gets too brown before a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Wait for 15 minutes before un-molding over a rack. Let the cake cool completely, then make a glaze whisking all the ingredients. Pour the glaze over the cake, decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe click here

Comments: The Bundt pan I used is this one. Any cake will look good with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, but I decided to go with a light glaze and sprinkles.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED
BROWNIE HEARTS

If your heart is set on chocolate, but you don’t feel like a simple tray of brownies, here is a very cute idea… Bake the brownies in a heart-shape silicone mold, then use the same mold to coat each piece in chocolate (I went with compound chocolate dyed red). I used these molds to bake and coat the brownies. And my favorite recipe for the little cakes (check here).

When you bake the brownies, the bottom side, that touches the mold, will be super flat. You can flip them when you coat and place the non-flat side touching the chocolate. That will end up smooth, so both sides of your little cakes will be nice and flat.

So the process goes like this: bake the brownies, cool them completely in the mold. Freeze for 10 minutes to make sure the brownie will be nice and firm. Remove cakes. Wash the mold, dry well. Melt compound chocolate in the color of your choice, add a layer to the bottom of the mold and immediately insert the cake back. Push gently all the way down. Make sure you see the chocolate coming up a bit around the edges, no need to come all the way to the top. Freeze for 15 minutes. Un-mold, and decorate.

Once they are coated, you can pipe a drizzle of melted chocolate and add sprinkles.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED OREOS

No need for recipe, just a little festive decoration, made with Royal icing and sanding sugar. Leftover melted chocolate was used to form little hearts using this mold.

VALENTINE’S SQUARE CAKE

I cannot share the recipe, as it is copyrighted. Published as Sunny Sprinkle Layer Cake, it is in a great book by Molly Gilbert called Sheet Pan Sweets. I baked it in a half-sheet pan, then cut 4 squares to make the layers, used a simple American Buttercream to frost it. It was not easy to frost smoothly a square cake, but oh, well. What does not kill you, makes you stronger.