- Allison
Easy & Elegant Lavender Lemon Cookie Bars
Hi there!
As you can probably tell by now, I really enjoy lemony and delicate desserts, and this recipe is a perfect example of that. It is easy to make, somewhat healthy, packed with flavour, and perfect for a warm spring day (or any day, really!).
Nutrition Facts:
Servings: 10-12 bars
Cal: 232 Total Fat: 10g Total Carbs: 33g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 23g Protein: 2g
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
For the bars:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (OR 2 cups of whole-grain einkorn flour)
1 1/2 tbsp dried culinary lavender flowers
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter
1/2 cup sugar (I use maple sugar)
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp oil (olive, coconut, avocado, etc.)
1 large egg
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional, but I highly recommend it)
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
*Optional: dried lavender and/or lemon zest for topping
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C, and line an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper.
Mix the 1 1/2 cups of AP flour (OR 2 cups of whole-grain einkorn flour, if using), 1 1/2 tbsp of dried lavender, 1/2 tsp of baking powder, and 1/2 tsp of salt together in a bowl.
Using your hands, rub 3/4 cup of sugar with 2 tbsp of lemon zest in a bowl until it looks like wet sand. You can use your stand mixer bowl if you plan on using your mixer.
Cream the 1/2 cup of butter and sugar/lemon mixture using a whisk or stand mixer until it is well-combined and creamy. This usually only takes about 30 seconds to a minute.
Add the egg, 1 tbsp of oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp of almond extract (if using) to your butter/sugar mixture, and mix until combined. It will most likely be lumpy because of the butter, but that is fine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in increments, mixing well after each addition. It should all be well-combined and sticky when done.
Add the dough to your baking dish and press down until it is all evenly spread out. It is pretty sticky, but do not worry, as it will still spread out just fine.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
While the bars are cooling, make the glaze by combining 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp of vanilla (if using), a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp of lemon juice in a container. You may have to add a bit more liquid to get it the consistency you want. Do not add the glaze until the bars are cooled.
Sprinkle some lemon zest and/or lavender on top if you wish, and enjoy!
Notes:
Whether you use all-purpose flour or einkorn in this recipe, they both turn out great, and none of the other ingredients need to be adjusted. I used einkorn flour in the pictures.
The nutrition facts were calculated using all-purpose flour and regular white sugar. If you change any of the ingredients, the nutrition facts will be changed as well, so keep that in mind.
You can raise the sugar amount to 3/4 cup if you prefer, as most of the sweetness comes from the glaze.
I typically use salted butter in all of my recipes, so you may want to lower the salt amount if that is what you are using. I personally prefer adding extra salt, as it enhances the other flavours.
These bars keep for 2-3 days at room temperature or about 1 week in the fridge (if they even last that long before they are eaten!).
Thanks goes to my husband for the beautiful flowers he got me that are featured in these pictures :)
If you enjoy lemon and/or lavender recipes as much as I do, why not check out two of our other easy-peasy lemon-squeezy (pun intended) spring-inspired recipes:
Easy & Quick Lemon Basil Pasta
I do hope you enjoy this recipe, and, as always, please leave a comment and/or rating below! It really helps us out :)
And, feel free to send us pictures of our recipes that you have tried. Seeing feedback from our followers encourages us to keep bringing out quality content!
See you next Wednesday!