St. Mary Lavender Sugar Cookies

History

The feast of the Dormition of St. Mary was historically a time for the blessing of herbs. August would bring the harvest, when herbs would be gathered just like other crops. So each family would gather a bundle and bring it to church for the priest to bless. The herbs were then placed on the home altar and used throughout the year. Some might be used in tea when a family member falls ill, for instance. It was thought that these herbs were especially beneficial during times of sickness or storms. In Germany, this tradition is reflected in the historic name for the day of Mary’s Dormition: Kräutertag, or “spice day”!

For this reason, we want to share with you this sweet, herb-inspired recipe: lavender sugar cookies.

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St. Mary Lavender Sugar Cookies

These cookies are the perfect tea-time treat for the Feast of St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord.

The lavender, an especially beautiful and feminine herb, graces the top of these cookies and is mixed into the pure white sugar frosting to create a soft and elegant look. The white hints at Mary’s purity and the purple—while not as popular as blue—is a color that can be found adorning Mary in classical artwork. This article explains a few reasons for the color, one of which is that one apocryphal passage poetically describing Mary as spinning the thread that is the veil of the tabernacle: Mary’s lot was to spin the “true purple and the scarlet,” threads, “and she took the scarlet, and span it.”

For a time, this tabernacle veil is none other than Mary’s own womb. Indeed, while she bears our Lord before his nativity, she is the purple and scarlet veil concealing God himself until he shows his blessed face.

Recipe

This recipe makes the perfect summertime dessert. The cookies are light, floral, and just the right amount of sweet!

Just a couple of tips:

1. To get evenly round cookies, chill the dough before rolling it out onto a floured surface. Once you cut out the cookies, use a bread scraper or a thin metal spatula to transfer them from your workspace to the cookie sheet.
2. Perfectly bake these cookies by removing them after they “puff” ever-so slightly and develop a crust-looking appearance but aren’t yet brown.
3. Once you pull them out of the oven, do not touch the cookies until they have cooled for 3-5 minutes. This will ensure that they hold their shape.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter

1 C sugar

1 egg

½ tsp lavender tea (or substitute vanilla)

1 tsp baking powder

1 ¾ C unbleached white flour

1 C confectioner’s sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp fresh lavender, rinsed + extra sprigs for decoration

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Then add the egg, ½ tsp of lavender tea, and baking powder. Mix until incorporated.
3. Next, add ½ C of flour and continue beating. Add in the rest of the flour ¼ C at a time until a dough forms. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and let chill in the fridge or freeze for 5-10 minutes.
4. Flour your working surface and, once chilled, roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut out the cookies. Carefully transfer the cookies onto a greased baking sheet, using a dough scraper if available.
5. Bake at 400°F for 7 minutes. Remove and LET COOL. The cookies will hold their shape once cooled but are easily deformed right out of the oven.
6. While cooling, make the frosting by combining the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and half of the lavender.
7. Once the cookies are cool enough to hold their shape, frost each by using a spoon to spread the frosting in a circular motion until it nearly reaches the edge.
8. Before the frosting solidifies, garnish with additional lavender buds as desired. Eat and enjoy!