Herb and Spice Cookies

For best flavor, you can melt the butter or margarine over gentle heat with the herb or spice in it, cook for a few minutes, then cool in the refridgerator. Try lining a bowl with plastic wrap for the cooling--when just solidified, it can be lifted out in one hunk, instead of wastefully scraped out of a bowl which then must be washed. For crisp cookies, use real, unsalted butter. For chewier cookies, use margarine.

Herbs and Spices To Try:

Scented Geranium
Sweet Marjoram
Lavendar Leaves or Flowers
Sage
Lemon Herbs, like lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon grass, etc.
Thyme
Ground Cloves
Curry Powder
Chinese Five-Spice Powder
Ground Cumin
Ground Coriander
Ground Cardamom
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Allspice, or Pumpkin Pie Spice

Basic Recipe:

One stick butter or margarine, room temperature, infused with herb
One large egg
One cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
About 2 1/2 cups flour, more or less, depending on humidity.

How To:

1. Cream butter, sugar and egg until fluffy and well mixed.
2. Add soda, mix well.
3. Add two cups flour and mix well.
4. Turn out onto floured counter or board, and continue to knead in more flour until dough is workable and no longer sticky.
5. Divide into four balls, and flatten on floured counter.
6. With sharp knife, cut dough into thin wedges and place on cookie sheets.
7. Bake at 375 until set but not brown. Watch carefully!

Flower Sugar

Choose the sweeter aromatic flowers to use for flavoring the sugar. Use a clean pint jar with a tight fitting lid, fill the jar about 1/3 full with sugar. Scatter a handfull of small flowers, florets, or petals into jar. Cover the flowers with sugar so that the jar is 2/3 full. Add another handful of flowers, and cover with sugar to fill the jar. Leave 1/2 inch space on top. Put lid on the jar and shake well. Place jar in a cool, dark place for at least 2-3 weeks. However, it becomes more flavorful with age.

* You may add more sugar to the jar as you use it, it will take on the fragrance of the jar.