Category Archives: Afternoon Tea

Lemon & Lavender Sugar Cookies

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Makes 48-52, dependent on cookie cutter size

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 small Tonka bean finely grated
  • 1-2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 egg white, beaten

Method

  1. Combine the sugar, lavender, lemon zest, and grated tonka bear in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined
  2. Cream together the butter and 1/2 cup lavender sugar mixture, until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Beat until combined, and dough starts to become crumbly. Add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice until the dough comes together
  3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out the cookies using your preferred cookie cutter. I used 1 1/2 inch fluted and plain circular cutters for bite-size cookies. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet using a spatula.
  4. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the dough
  5. While the cookies are chilly, reheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brush each cookie with beaten egg white, then sprinkle with the remaining lavender sugar
  6. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 12-13minutes or until just lightly golden on the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely
  7. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Rose & Orange Olive Oil Cakes

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Makes 16

Ingredients

Cakes

  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 3 large eggs 

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons rosewater

To decorate

  • Dried rose petals

Method

Cakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease mini loaf pan* with baking spray
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
  3. In a separate medium bowl, combine the sugar, and orange zest. Rub together for a few minutes to release the orange natural oils. Add the orange juice and whisk together until the sugar is fully dissolved. Whisk in the yogurt, then the eggs and finally the olive oi
  4. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
  5. Pipe or spoon the batter into the prepared mini loaf pans, taking care to fill them no more than halfway full. Bake until the cakes are golden, spring back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22-25 minutes
  6. Let cool for 30 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans to a cooling rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes more

Glaze/ To Finish

  1. Combine the powdered sugar, milk, rosewater in a bowl and mix until a smooth paste forms
  2. Dip the tops of each loaf into the glaze, allowing any excess to run off. Place on a rack set over some parchment paper. Sprinkle tops with dried rose petals and allow to fully dry and set
  3. Serve and enjoy

*I use a 10 x 15 inch, 8 cavity mini-loaf pan