Description
These lavender lemon cookies combine all of the flavors of a classic lavender latte, in the form of a dark chocolate cookie!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
115 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup/1 stick), softened
150 grams caster sugar (3/4 cup)
50 grams light brown sugar (1/3 cup, packed)
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon coffee extract
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot milk
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (160 grams)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (50 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
125 grams chopped white chocolate (1 cup)
Lavender Ganache:
160 milliliters whipping cream (2/3 cup), plus more for topping up
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers, plus more to garnish
160 grams chopped dark chocolate (5.6 ounces/1 cup)
2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
Cookie Dough:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Whip in the egg, followed by the coffee extract, instant coffee/milk mixture, and lemon zest.
In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to the butter bowl, and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the chopped white chocolate.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Once dough has chilled, use a melon baller or ice cream scoop to divide the dough into equal portions, about 1 1/2″ in diameter. Use your hands to roll into golf ball-sized balls.
Freeze cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined plate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F / 175° C. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Place frozen cookie dough balls on prepared tray, allowing space for the cookies to spread.
Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes. If desired, use a large round metal cutter to gently reshape the cookies into perfect circles. Cool on tray for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While cookies cool, prepare the ganache.
Lavender Ganache:
Gently warm the cream in a small saucepan (do not boil). Stir in dried lavender. Remove from heat and allow mixture to steep for 30 minutes.*
Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the cream mixture. Discard the lavender flowers.
Return infused cream to saucepan and re-weigh. If necessary, top up with extra cream. You should have 130 milliliters (approximately 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons, but it’s best to use a scale for accuracy).
Add chopped dark chocolate to a large metal bowl and sit it over a pot of simmering water to create a bain marie, or hot water bath. (Alternately, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler.) Gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, re-warm the cream mixture until steaming. Remove from heat and stir in the honey.
Pour the cream mixture into the melted chocolate, and whisk until well-combined. Continue whisking vigorously for 3-5 minutes, or until mixture is shiny, smooth and creamy (the ganache will not be overly thick).
With a metal teaspoon, apply a spoonful of ganache to each cookie, then use the back of the spoon spread it evenly over the top.
Sprinkle with dried lavender flowers.
Allow cookies to sit, uncovered, for 1-2 hours, or until ganache is set.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. Lavender-lemon latte cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container between sheets of parchment.
Notes
*To save time, you can infuse the lavender into the cream while the cookie dough chills. After 30 minutes, strain and store mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Prep Time: 90 minutes (including infusion time)
- Chilling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 13-15 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
- Cuisine: Desserts