Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Growing up, my mother always had these mints in her purse that I would secretly steal.  They were violet mints and something about them was soooooo addicting. I remember going on vacation to Hawaii my freshman year of high school, and while we were there we found a convenience store that carried them.  My mom and dad bought a whole case! I'm pretty sure we finished about 3-4 packs that day!  I got the idea for this glaze from those memories.  The lavender gives a subtle hint of flavor to the glaze without overpowering it.

The cookie recipe if from Rachel Ray's Magazine and the cookies are fantastic.  You could adapt these cookies with any citrus fruit and they would be delicious.

Lemon Cookies:
1 stick butter (the recipe says chilled but mine was softened)

1 1/4 cups sugar
Grated peel of 2 lemons, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter, 1 cup sugar, the lemon peel and juice until fluffy. Mix in the egg. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and combine.

2. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls, then roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart. Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheets to racks to cool completely.

Lemon Lavender Glaze:

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tbs Lemon juice

2-3 Tbs Milk

8-10 Sprigs Lavender - dried & buds removed

Combine all ingredients and stir.  If the glaze is too thick add more milk until you get the consistency you want. I used Lavender from my mom's garden and dried them in my kitchen.  You can also purchase dried lavender buds from craft stores like Joannes or Michael's.   I would recommend buying lavender buds that are either purchased or from your own garden to ensure that no pesticides were used on them.