It’s time to add a little color to your dessert tray with Edible Flower Cookies!! No need for frosting or sprinkles, just colorful fresh pansies pressed into citrus and mint flavored shortbread cookies.
This spring I decided to plant an array of colorful pansies in pots all around my porch for the sole purpose of making cookies. I might as well enjoy them while baking too right?! Shortbread Cookies are the perfect catalyst for displaying edible flowers. The small buttery cookie dough holds its shape and frames the delicate flower petals. Besides being addictive in taste, these little tea party cookies are super easy to make!
There are many edible flowers and herbs you can press into your shortbread cookies. I found that pansies, lavender, rose petals, violets, and sage flowers work best to add color to small cookies.
Since this recipe includes freshly chopped mint, I also pressed a few with mint leaves. Don’t worry, nothing tastes like a ‘garden plant’, you will be pleasantly surprised when vanilla, orange, lime and mint tickle your palate 🙂
Fell free to swap out the orange and lime for lemon zest or leave the mint out entirely. The great thing about these flower pressed shortbreads are that you can adjust the flavor to your personal taste.
Tips for Making Edible Flower Cookies
- Sift your flour to make an even mixture.
- Let the citrus sugar sit for about for about 5 minutes.
- Make sure dough chills for a minimum of 30 minutes, to help butter firm.
- Dough can be made the day before, then just let sit on counter for about 15 minutes before rolling out.
- Use half the dough at a time, keeping the other half in the fridge until ready to use.
- Dust your countertop and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking.
- I used a 2.5 inch round cookie cutter, but feel free to use any shape or size that will fit your flowers.
- Use an offset spatula to transfer your cut cookies onto parchment paper lined tray.
- Take a pastry brush and super gently brush a light coating of beaten egg white where you want your flower to go.
- You can use a little more egg white to press the petals down on top if needed.
- Sprinkle the tops of the flowers with granulates sugar for more sweetness.
- Make sure flowers are cut from the stems, leaving just enough attachment to hold petals together.
- Carefully press the center of the flower into the dough until the petals lay flat and stick to the egg white. This is done very gently!!
- No need to brush anything on top of flower, just a sprinkling of extra sugar is all thats needed.
- Bake cookies on the middle rack.
- I keep a close eye on them and remove just when the edges start to show a little color change. Make sure not to over bake them or they will be crispy.
- They will be a little soft when they come out of the oven, but firm as they cool.
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups ( 314 grams) all purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves *optional* finely minced
Flower Topping
- Fresh Pansy Blossoms of desired color or other edible flower of choice
- Mint Leaves
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg white lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F (160 C) and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl stir together the sugar, orange zest and lime zest to make a citrus sugar mixture using a fork or small whisk and let sit a couple of minutes.
- Transfer the citrus sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the softened unsalted butter and vanilla, then beat together on medium for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix again on medium low until a cookie dough consistency is formed.
- Dough should be moist but firm. (if you feel it is dry add a tablespoon of milk.dough should NOT be sticky)
- Remove the dough from the bowl and divide into two halves. Shape each half into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Place the dough in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Place one half on a gently floured surface and roll out to ¼ inch thickness.
- Use a 2.5-3 inch cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can.
- Transfer cookies to prepared baking trays, spacing 1-2 inches apart.
- Using a pastry brush, gently coat a thin layer of beaten egg white onto the center of each cookie. Then, gently press a flower blossom slightly onto the surface. The back of the blossom may need to sink into the dough for petals to lay flat. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
- Place the entire tray into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to make sure cookie dough is cold before baking.
- Place trays on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges start to slightly golden in color. Bake time may differ between ovens, so keep an eye on the first batch.
- Place cookie sheet on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Then, using a spatula, transfer cookies off the pan and directly onto the wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining half of dough.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Abigail
I love this recipe! I make it with wild pansies and they’re so good. I put 3/4 whole grain flour and it was actually really good. These are beautiful, buttery cookies and I could not recommend more!
Christine
I love this!! Question – Do the flowers need to be pre-pressed, like book pressed preserved? Or does it work with fresh pansies? If fresh works, how long do they last on the cookie until they start bruising or not looking too great?
Jenn
I use fresh pansies, as long as they haven’t been sprayed with chemicals. I grow them, so know they are safe to eat:)
Angela
Hi! Can these cookies be made and baked ahead of time and frozen?
Allie
Curious.. would this work with any kind of flower not just pansies?
Jenn
You can use any type of edible flower or herb:)
Elle
Can the baked cookies be stored in the freezer to lengthen its shelf life?
Lana
This recipe is fantastic! It was super easy to follow and the cookies are seriously beautiful. I can’t wait to bake these again soon.
Aya
Love this! Will the pansies on the cookies keep their color? If so, for how long?
Alli
How long do the cookies save? Can I make then ahead of time?
Daisy C
Made these with nasturtiums and mint from my garden for easter, turned out beautiful! To help flatten the flowers, I pressed them in-between a folded piece of parchment paper with a rolling pin. Turned out great and taste delicious! Not super sweet and more shortbread-inspired.
Lynne McDonald
Can these be frozen, even with the flowers on? How long for?