Lofnablóm the Other Flower of Love – Lavender Cookies
Lavender cookies are one of my favorite ways to ring in spring. Not too sweet and the floral lavender make it a favorite cookie to eat with tea. I learned this recipe from my former husband’s Mom, we didn’t have lots in common but we shared a love for her son, gardening, and finding an excuse to bake cookies.
Lavender is a beautiful plant, the sweet but potent scent, lovely color and medicinal properties for healing and calming. Magically speaking lavender is for luck, healing, and for love.
The Icelandic word for Lavender is Lofnarblóm. So named for the Norse goddess Lofn, they are Lofn’s Flower/ blossom. She is not a prominent goddess, but still important and numbered among Frigga’s Handmaidens. She is known for her friendly easy going nature and is the champion of love, particularly forbidden loves. For many they see her as a champion of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Lavender is both the color and flower are associated with lesbians and the greater queer community. The ‘Lavender Menace” was an insult that lesbians embraced in 1970s. The year before lavender colored sashes and armbands were distributed to at marches after the Stonewall riots. Like violets, these little purple flowers stand for love and resistance. What a way to start spring.
Lavender Cookies
Ingredients
- 1-3 tsp Lavender flowers
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ c butter
- 1 c sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ c unbleached all purpose flour
- 1-2 drops purple food coloring optional*
- powdered sugar optional**
Instructions
- Grind lavender with the salt in a mortar and pestle, or using a spice grinder.
- Cream butter with lavender & salt mixture, sugar, baking powder & vanilla, beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, add food coloring if using
- Beat in flour.
- Chill dough for 20mins to an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10 mins or until edges are lightly browned.
- Cool for 1-2 min then transfer to a cooling rack.
