Blog
A journal of kitchen creations
04.19.2023
Dragonfruit Floral Shortbread Cookies
I recently started experimenting with adding freeze dried fruit powders to recipes. Dragonfruit powder adds a punch of colour and a touch of fruity tang to this shortbread recipe. Turning anything pink makes me happy, so I've tried adding it to my smoothies and oatmeal bowls as well. The freeze dried dragonfruit powder, made by Pitaya Foods, can be found at https://naturamarket.ca/.
I used the very last of my Fall 2022 pressed and dried nasturtiums to top this batch of cookies. In just a few more weeks, sowing seeds will begin to start this year's edible flower backyard garden. I have pansy, calendula, bachelor buttons, chamomile, marigold and nasturtium flowers to look forward to!
Dragonfruit Floral Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from www.eatyourflowers.com
Makes 12 cookies
Ingredients:
1 stick (113 g.) unsalted butter at room temperature
100 g. cane sugar plus 1 tbsp for sprinkling on baked cookies
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp milk
4 tsp freeze-dried dragonfruit powder (I used Pitaya Foods brand)
200 g. flour
Edible flowers for decoration (I used pressed and dried nasturtiums)
Cream butter, salt and sugar using the paddle attachment on a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and milk and mix until just combined. Next add the flour and dragonfruit powder and mix on low speed until dough forms a ball.
Roll out dough to 1/4" thick and use a 3" round cookie cutter to stamp out your cookies. Use edible flowers to decorate the top of the cookies. Place another piece of parchment on top of the cookies and gently roll to press the toppings into the cookies. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a sheet of parchment. Use the leftover dough to roll out and stamp additional cookies until all dough is used.
Place the prepared cookies in the freezer overnight. When ready to bake, cook at 360 ° F in the middle rack for a total of 15 minutes, turning once in the middle of baking. Once removed from oven, sprinkle the cookies with cane sugar.
Transfer to cooling rack until room temperature. Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight glass container for up to a week. Cookies also freeze well and can be placed directly in freezer, thawing on counter for 2 hours before serving.
