Lemon Lavender ShortBread Bars are a perfect twist on traditional lemon bars! Fresh picked lavender & lemons from the homestead are a perfect twist on a winter dessert! Try out this easy farm to fork recipe!

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This week I went into the garden and I had two full lemon trees with lots of ripe lemons. I knew I needed to make some lemon bars this week. When I turned around my lavender was flourishing as well. Thats when I knew I wanted to make a mix of the two in a winter pick me up treat. This is one of the main reasons I love homesteading so much, the work you put into the ground will flourish the next year. Here are some images of the winter garden. I have linked all my supplies & I want to share with you a recipe I put together to mix the two flourishing items in the garden or lemons & lavender. These bars are very delicious I hope you make them!

HOW DO I MAKE LAVENDER LEMON BARS?

In this Lavender Lemon Bars recipe, lavender sugar is used in both the shortbread crust and the lemon filling, to give the sweet and tangy flavor! To make lavender sugar you dry lavender for a few days with the stocks upside down. When dried you take pieces of the flowered lavender and put it into a mixed with sugar. This will blend up with a very aromatic, with a woodsy, vanilla fragrance and a mildly herbal taste. If you do not have any fresh lavender on hand to dry the purchase dried culinary lavender I will link some here.

After you’ve made your lavender sugar, this recipe comes together like any other lemon bar. A simple shortbread crust, and an easy filling of eggs, lemon juice, sugar, and a bit of flour to hold everything together. The bars taste similar to a lemon bar but they have a hidden taste of the lavender you will love.

My Favorite Baking Necessities with Frankie:

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INGREDIENTS

FOR THE LAVENDER SUGAR:

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp culinary dried lavender

FOR THE CRUST:

• 8 oz unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled

• 1/2 cup lavender sugar 

• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 1  teaspoon salt

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 

FOR THE FILLING:

• 8 large eggs

• 1  cups fresh lemon juice

• 2.5 cups lavender sugar 

• Zest of 2 lemons

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

• Powdered sugar for serving on top

Instructions

How to Make Lavender Sugar 

Place the dried lavender in the bowl of a food processor and blend it for 10 seconds to chop it into small pieces. Add 1 cup of granulated sugar to the processor and blend well, for 15-20 seconds, until the lavender is finely ground and mixed into the sugar. Add the remaining sugar to the processor and pulse briefly until it’s well-mixed. You will begin to smell why this is a must in this recipe!

How to Make the Crust

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with cooking spray or parchment paper 

• In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, lavender sugar, vanilla, and salt. Once mixed, add the flour and stir with a spatula until it is combined and no streaks of flour remain. Scrape the dough into the pan and press it into an even layer.

• Bake the crust for 25-30 minutes at 350 F, until it’s golden brown on top. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling so it’s ready to go as soon as the crust is done.

How to Make the Filling

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice, lavender sugar, and lemon zest. Sift the flour on top of the egg mixture, and whisk it in as well.

• When the crust is done baking, Pour the filling over the hot crust and slide it back into the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325 F and bake for 25-30 minutes. It’s done when the center barely jiggles when you tap the pan this is the test I do to know if my desserts are ready 🙂

• Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar before serving, and add a few lavender buds on top if desired. Store Lavender Lemon Bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

We are blessed with the ability to grow a winter garden and have citrus & flower harvest through the whole year here in Lincoln. The smell of lavender and DIY lavender sugar is amazing. Lavender is one of my favorite plants because of the number one it is deer tolerant the deer will not eat it which is huge around here if I plant outside my orchard / garden area. Also lavender smells amazing and looks beautiful ! Mixed with vibrant lemons it is the perfect mix of a winter dessert.

I would absolutely love to know if you make this dessert. I know it s a favorite in our family. You can still make it without lavender if you do not like that. I am definitely looking forward to spring!

Hugs,

Christina

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