Who knows? Tomorrow maybe lavender lemonade! Ahem... but I'm getting ahead of myself. My friend Sarah is gluten intolerant, so I set about finding a recipe that would work for everyone.
It didn't take long, either. A few minutes on the internet brought a simple recipe. Today Molly and I went out for the ingredients - rice flour, cornstarch, 10X sugar and butter.
I was excited! Out to the lavender patch to do battle with those bumbly bees. They are having quite a time! I keep hoping that they will flavor some local honey with a touch of lavender. Carefully I trimmed just the purple-est bits of lavender for the most exotic appearance.
I followed the recipe to the t, except I will admit to putting the cookies too close together.
Even so, they had a sandy, ethereal texture. Melt in your mouth and crumble in your fingers.
Very unstable, and I really didn't feel they were shortbread-like. Just because you can't eat gluten doesn't mean you should have to pretend that something is like a thing that it is not.So I thought about it for a while, and realized it needed something to hold it together....egg.
I added an egg, and cut down on the butter while adding a wee splash of vanilla. The dry ingredients needed to be bumped up just a smidge to make up for the liquid of the egg. Maybe a medium sized egg wouldn't need that, but I used extra large.
That was what they needed! NOW they are shortbread cookies.
Here's the recipe:
Here's the recipe:
1 C plus 2 heaping T Rice Flour
1/2 C plus 1 heaping T 10X sugar
1/2 C plus 1 heaping T cornstarch
1 extra large egg
1 stick butter (1/2 C)
1 good t chopped lavender flowers
1/2 t vanilla
Blend together the dry ingredients well. Soften the butter, and mix it with the egg and vanilla. Mix everything together and add the flowers. If it is too wet, add rice flour by teaspoons.
Refrigerate for one hour.
Make teaspoon sized balls and place on cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.
Put into a 300 degree oven for about 20 - 25 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
mmmmm.....
