Saturday 7 September 2013

My Cherished Canadian Recipe

For this month's Canadian Food Experience Project our challenge was to share a cherished Canadian recipe. It took me a little while to come up with what I would choose to share, but when it came to me, I was certain it was perfect. 

I grew up eating my Nana's shortbread cookies. Chocolate dipped, cookie pressed, plain, decorated, with a cup of tea, or without. I just plain love eating them. I know shortbreads may not seem like a Canadian recipe, but they definitely are Canadian to me. So many of our population came over from the UK and Scotland and joined our lovely country. And since I reinvented my Nana's recipe and added in some lavender bought from a lovely little Canadian farm, I know these particular shortbreads are one hundred percent Canadian. 

I chose to leave my lavender flowers whole, rather than mashing them into my sugar. I thought it gave the cookies a small farm look and pretty texture, but I know they'd be great however you choose to make them. Read on for the recipe!

Lavender Shortbread Cookies - makes 3 - 4 dozen, depending on cookie size

3/4 cup butter 
1/4 cup icing sugar 
1/4 cup corn starch
1 cup flour 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons dried lavender

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Cream together butter and sugar. Then add in corn starch, flour, and salt. Finally gently stir in lavender. 

3. Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter and place cookies on the parchment lined cookie sheet. 

4. Bake for about 10-15 minutes and enjoy. 

I got my lavender on a sunny morning at the Damali lavender farm on Vamcouver Island. Next time I'm going to go in the afternoon so I can taste their lavender wine too! 



The Canadian Food Experience Project began June 7 2013. As we (participants) share our collective stories through our regional food experiences, we hope to bring global clarity to our Canadian culinary identity.


3 comments:

  1. I adore lavender. There really isn't anything better. This looks like an amazing recipe!

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  2. How did they taste? Shortbread certainly is Canadian. It is as Canadian as wheat for the reasons you say. The history, the staying power and then also, the translation of the recipes, over time, to adapt to our ingredients. I love our family recipe - and lavender shortbread is a favourite while eating out. Cannot handle too many, but adore them. Great idea for this month's topic!
    :)
    V

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  3. The tasted great! And so easy to make, which is always great too.

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