Lavender Sugar Cookies

I woke up this morning expecting to hear howling winds and torrential rains. Hurricane Irene. But so far, so good. Hope everyone is safe down East. If not for Irene, these Lavender Sugar Cookies would be sandwiched with vanilla ice cream and tucked safely away in my freezer. But buying ice cream this weekend would be tempting fate; we'd be sure to lose power for a week. Not that we'd have trouble polishing off a half gallon of ice cream before it melted. It would be an emergency, after all.

If the storm is stressing you out and you need to relax (and you still have power), Lavender Sugar Cookies are just what's needed. I'm guessing, however, that most of you don't have Lavender Sugar sitting in your pantry. Gasp! No worries, the basic cookie recipe is versatile. Substitute almond flavoring for the vanilla, add the zest of a single lemon or toss in 1 tsp of grated ginger--your choice. If you're lucky enough to have access to a lavender plant, add two tablespoons of the 'leaf', chopped fine, to the sugar/butter mixture for a similar effect. If your lavender is blooming the purple flowers are the most fragrant, so adjust the amount accordingly. Leave out the woody stalk in the middle. You can also purchase lavender sugar online.

So, can you taste the lavender? Yes, you can, but it's not overpowering. First you taste the sugar and the butter and vanilla and then you taste the lavender. It's a sweet/savory combination, a little mysterious. You eat one, think, "Mmm, what is that?" Then you eat another. Lavender Sugar Cookies are dangerous that way. Enjoy them with a cup of herbal tea or a tall glass of milk. Or a half gallon of vanilla ice cream. Stay safe this weekend East Coast.

Lavender Sugar Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cups lavender sugar
1/4 cup plain sugar for dusting
1 TB vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour (I use half whole wheat mix)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp  baking powder

1.) Mix together the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla and egg.
2.) Now I'm supposed to say, "In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients..." But who really does that? Mix the flour, salt and baking powder into the butter and sugar.
3.) Separate the dough into two balls on two pieces of plastic wrap. Shape into logs, wrap tightly and place in the fridge for an hour to overnight until firm.
4.) Take the dough out of the fridge and give it a roll on the counter top to get rid of the flat side of the dough where it sat on the shelf. You may need to shape the cookies some with your fingers too.
5.) Preheat the oven to 400'.

6.) Place the extra sugar in a bowl. Slice the dough rolls into two dozen, 1/2 inch pieces. Press each piece into the sugar and place, sugar side up, on cookie sheets. I wanted to use purple decorator's sugar for the tops but couldn't find any at the store. Wouldn't that be pretty though?
7.) Bake for 8-9 minutes, taking out of the oven just when they start to brown and the centers are set and no longer gooey.
8.) Serve with a glass of milk or herbal tea.