My friend introduced me to this shortbread cookie. And she added buckwheat flour and lavender to make it even more delicious.
The original recipe calls these cookies Mexican Wedding Cakes. First image that comes to mind is a round, white flour cookie coated in powdery sugar. Right? But since many countries have their own variation on this treat perhaps this is just that. Another variation. Heart shape. Buttery. Rich with nuts. Sweet and salty. And suitably rustic with whole grains. But whatever origin or variation, this treat is most always rolled twice in powdery sugar after baking, very simple to make, and worth every crumb.
This cookie was one of two cookies boxed for my Valentine in days passed. The other, was a macaron. The kind your eyes would feast on in a French patisserie. We enjoyed this versatile cookie in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. But it most always was accompanied with chit chat and tea. And even though crumpets are the quintessential afternoon tea treat I manage to create a variety of niceties. This shortbread cookie with lavender and sea salt at the top of my list.
I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to be holiday appropriate. I think it was a nice touch and beautiful, really, for any occasion. But you could use any shape and size cutter desired.
Take an afternoon break and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Makes 2-3 dozen depending on thickness of cookie // Adapted from 101 cookbooks
1c pecans, toasted and cooled to room temperature
1c unsalted butter
1/2c natural cane sugar
A splash of vanilla extract
A splash of bourbon
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2c all-purpose flour
1c buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon lavender
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 325F. Pulse the pecans in a food processor until they become a fine meal. You don’t want to go so far that you create a paste.
In a mixer beat the butter until it becomes creamy, add the sugar and mix until everything is creamy and lighter in color. The vanilla and bourbon go in next followed by the nut meal. Sift the flours and salt. Slowly add flour, salt and lavender and mix until a stiff dough is formed. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This makes for easy rolling and stamping. I like to make the dough the night before and refrigerate over night.
Roll the dough out and use a 1-inch heart shaped cookie cutter to stamp the cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies begin to brown ever so slightly. I baked mine for 15 minutes. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and dust with powdered sugar.
