From DIY terrariums and yearly floral wardrobe refresh, to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we’re all taking a moment to stop and smell the roses, tulips, peonies… But have you ever considered eating them?
Us neither to be honest but when it comes to flowers, we’re open to anything. Especially when they’re decorating a delicious sweet treat.
Sweet Fridays:
Lemon & Honey Sugar Cookies Recipe
You may have noticed already but flowers are having a moment.
In the latest and final installment of Noisette Bakehouse’s Sweet Fridays series, founder Sarah Lemanski serves up these crowd-pleasing Lemon & Honey Sugar Cookies, decorated with edible dried flowers. Simple but oh-so-fancy.
These stunning cookies can be embellished to suit the season using fresh edible flowers and herbs, as well as toasted coconut and almond flakes. Dried edible flowers make for fancy florals while the flaked almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips and dried mango also make for great decoration.
- Sarah Lemanski, Noisette Bakehouse
What you’ll need:
For the cookies
- 350g plain flour
- 100g self-raising flour
- 125g caster sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
- 125g unsalted butter – cold & diced into small cubes
- 125g honey
- 1 large egg – lightly beaten
For the icing
- 150g icing sugar
- 6–8 tsp lemon juice
To decorate the cookies (optional)
- Coconut chips
- Flaked almonds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Fresh or dried edible flowers
Additional Equipment
- Rolling pin
For the cookies
- 350g plain flour
- 100g self-raising flour
- 125g caster sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
- 125g unsalted butter – cold & diced into small cubes
- 125g honey
- 1 large egg – lightly beaten
For the icing
- 150g icing sugar
- 6–8 tsp lemon juice
To decorate the cookies (optional)
- Coconut chips
- Flaked almonds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Fresh or dried edible flowers
Additional Equipment
- Rolling pin
- 1 x 6cm round-fluted cutter
- 1 x 2cm round-fluted or straight-edged cutter
How it’s made:
1. Place the flours, granulated sugar, lemon zest and sea salt into a food processor and blitz to combine.
2. Add the cold cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture starts to resemble breadcrumbs.
3. Add in the honey and the lightly beaten egg and blitz until the mixture forms into a rough dough, this should take about two minutes.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together with your hands for about one minute until the dough is smooth and even. 5. Divide the dough into two.
6. Flatten the first half of the dough slightly and then roll out to a 5mm thickness. It’s best to do this between two sheets of greaseproof paper to prevent the dough sticking to the work surface.
7. Place the rolled dough onto a baking sheet and repeat with the second half of the dough.
8. Place them in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
9. Once chilled, remove one sheet of the rolled dough from the fridge and peel away the top layer of greaseproof paper.
10. Lay this sheet on a new baking tray and use the 6cm fluted cutter to cut rounds from the dough. Then remove the centres of each 6cm round with the 2cm round cutter.
11. Transfer the cookies onto the lined baking sheet. You can bake the 2cm cookies holes for nibbles or pre-roll the cuttings for more cookies.
12. Return the cut cookies to the fridge and repeat the process with the second sheet of dough. Continue until you have used all the dough.
13. Allow the cut-out cookies to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour while you pre-heat the oven to 175°C/347°F/Gas Mark 3.
14. Once chilled, remove the cookies from the fridge and place the baking sheets into the oven to bake for 5 minutes.
15. After this time rotate the trays in the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the cookies are even in colour and light brown at the edges. Keep a close eye on them as the honey will cause the cookies to brown quickly. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and set the trays on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Once cool, remove the cookies from the trays and allow to cool completely on the wire rack. Reserve the greaseproof paper for the icing stage.
16. Combine the icing sugar and 6 tsp of lemon juice in a bowl, you may need to add the additional 2 tsps lemon to get the icing to the right consistency.
17. Try test dipping one of the cookies beforehand by holding down the edges of the cookie with your fingertips and placing it face down into the icing until it coats the surface. Lift the cookie out, shaking off any excess before turning the cookie the right way around and placing it back on the greaseproof paper.
18. The glaze should set to the edges without running off. If the icing runs straight off the cookie, then add a little more icing sugar. If the icing is too thick and won’t spread to the edges of the cookie, just add a little more lemon.
19. Once you’re happy with the consistency, dip 4 or 5 more cookies.
20. Here comes the fun part—you can now embellish your cookies with your chosen decoration. Continue to dip the cookies in the same way, 4-5 at a time until you’ve decorated them all.
1. Place the flours, granulated sugar, lemon zest and sea salt into a food processor and blitz to combine.
2. Add the cold cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture starts to resemble breadcrumbs.
3. Add in the honey and the lightly beaten egg and blitz until the mixture forms into a rough dough, this should take about two minutes.
4. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and bring together with your hands for about one minute until the dough is smooth and even. 5. Divide the dough into two.
6. Flatten the first half of the dough slightly and then roll out to a 5mm thickness. It’s best to do this between two sheets of greaseproof paper to prevent the dough sticking to the work surface.
7. Place the rolled dough onto a baking sheet and repeat with the second half of the dough.
8. Place them in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
9. Once chilled, remove one sheet of the rolled dough from the fridge and peel away the top layer of greaseproof paper.
10. Lay this sheet on a new baking tray and use the 6cm fluted cutter to cut rounds from the dough. Then remove the centres of each 6cm round with the 2cm round cutter.
11. Transfer the cookies onto the lined baking sheet. You can bake the 2cm cookies holes for nibbles or pre-roll the cuttings for more cookies.
12. Return the cut cookies to the fridge and repeat the process with the second sheet of dough. Continue until you have used all the dough.
13. Allow the cut-out cookies to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour while you pre-heat the oven to 175°C/347°F/Gas Mark 3.
14. Once chilled, remove the cookies from the fridge and place the baking sheets into the oven to bake for 5 minutes.
15. After this time rotate the trays in the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the cookies are even in colour and light brown at the edges. Keep a close eye on them as the honey will cause the cookies to brown quickly. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and set the trays on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Once cool, remove the cookies from the trays and allow to cool completely on the wire rack. Reserve the greaseproof paper for the icing stage.
16. Combine the icing sugar and 6 tsp of lemon juice in a bowl, you may need to add the additional 2 tsps lemon to get the icing to the right consistency.
17. Try test dipping one of the cookies beforehand by holding down the edges of the cookie with your fingertips and placing it face down into the icing until it coats the surface. Lift the cookie out, shaking off any excess before turning the cookie the right way around and placing it back on the greaseproof paper.
18. The glaze should set to the edges without running off. If the icing runs straight off the cookie, then add a little more icing sugar. If the icing is too thick and won’t spread to the edges of the cookie, just add a little more lemon.
19. Once you’re happy with the consistency, dip 4 or 5 more cookies.
20. Here comes the fun part—you can now embellish your cookies with your chosen decoration. Continue to dip the cookies in the same way, 4-5 at a time until you’ve decorated them all.