Shortbread Pansy Cookies

Mar 12, 2018

These buttery shortbread cookies are adorned with edible pansy flowers. They’re a beautiful addition to any spring celebration!

The taste of pansies is very mild, almost a grassy (think lettuce) or very weak wintergreen flavour making them ideal for decorating cakes and cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 cups butter, softened
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, whites only, beaten
Pesticide-free Pansies or violas, gently washed and allowed to dry
Fine sugar for decorating

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and salt, mix well.
3. Divide dough into half. Flatten each half slightly into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before rolling it out.
4. Using one half of refrigerated dough, roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Note: Roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper to avoid adding more flour to dough. Using a flower-shaped or scalloped edge cutter, cut out cookies and place cookies, about two inches apart, onto baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Place baking sheets in oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until cookies turn light golden around the edges and on the bottom.  Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.
5. Use a pastry brush, brush each cookie with egg white and place a pansy on top. Then brush the pansy all over with egg white and sprinkle with fine sugar.
6. Repeat with remaining cookies and return them to the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for another 5 minutes, then transfer to the wire racks to cool.