Chamomile-Lavender Shortbread with Honey-Glazed Pears
Buttery shortbread cookies scented with chamomile flowers and a hint of lavender, served alongside warm honey-glazed pears—a quiet, golden ending to the evening.
This dessert is built around the two warmest ingredients in Sleep Blend: chamomile and lavender. Crumbled chamomile flowers and just a touch of culinary lavender are folded into a classic shortbread dough, giving the cookies a soft golden hue and a barely-there floral perfume.
Lavender is powerful—a little goes a long way. Use no more than half a teaspoon for the whole batch, finely crumbled. Too much and shortbread starts to taste soapy. The goal is the merest hint, perfectly framed by the chamomile.
Honey-glazed pears bring the warmth. Sliced ripe pears are quickly sautéed in butter and honey with a splash of vanilla until just tender. They take less than ten minutes and turn the cookies into a complete dessert.
Serve the warm pears spooned over two shortbread cookies on a small plate, with the Sleep Blend tea steeping at the table. The cookies keep in a tin for a week, so this can be a Tuesday-night ritual rather than a special occasion.
Ingredients
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 100g powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp dried chamomile flowers, finely crumbled
- 1/2 tsp culinary-grade dried lavender buds, finely crumbled
- 3 ripe but firm pears, cored and sliced
- 2 tbsp butter (for pears)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for pears)
- Pinch of cinnamon
How to make it
- 1Beat softened butter and powdered sugar until pale and creamy (3 minutes). Beat in vanilla.
- 2Sift in flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add chamomile and lavender. Mix on low until a soft dough forms—do not overwork.
- 3Shape dough into a log (5cm diameter), wrap in parchment, and chill at least 1 hour.
- 4Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Slice the log into 1cm rounds and arrange on the sheet leaving 2cm between cookies. Bake 16–18 minutes until edges are just golden. Cool on the sheet 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- 5For the pears: melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan over medium heat. Add pears, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. Sauté 6–8 minutes, gently turning, until pears are tender and the sauce is glossy.
- 6To serve: place 2 shortbread cookies on each plate, spoon warm honey-glazed pears alongside with a little syrup. Pour Sleep Blend tea at the table.
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