Lavender Short Bread Hearts

Recipe: Daleen van der Merwe
Makes: 36  
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
250 g butter, at room temperature
150 ml castor sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 cup cornflour
¼ tsp salt
6 lavender flowers, finely chopped
castor sugar to dust

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light in colour. Sift the cake flour, cornflour and salt at least 3 times together, then add to the butter mixture. Mix to a smooth dough. Add the chopped lavender and cut in with a knife. Shape the dough into a ball and roll out to 3-mm thick on a surface dusted with flour. Using a heart shape cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer carefully to prepared baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes. The cookies must be cooked through with a light straw colour – never brown! Let it cool slightly on the baking tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dip in castor sugar and store in an air-tight container until needed.
Keep for no more than 3 days.