Lemongrass is not only great for beverages and Thai marinades. I was pleasantly surprised by baked goods with lemongrass—they have an exotic, citrusy flavor. Its vibrant aroma is appreciated by the world’s top pastry chefs. If you’re growing
lemongrass on your windowsill
, you’re probably wondering what else you can do with it. Lemongrass can add a unique twist to cocktails, sorbets, soufflés, homemade ice cream, and creams. While searching for interesting recipes with lemongrass, I came across a simple recipe for shortbread cookies with a lemongrass glaze. I want to share it with you.
Lemongrass Cookies
Ingredients:
- 200 g of butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon water
- 400 g flour
- A pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 100 g powdered sugar
- Food coloring (optional, to tint the glaze)
This is the original shortbread cookie recipe from the author; I made no changes. But every baker has their own tips and tricks for making shortbread dough (chilling and freezing the dough, using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar, adding leavening agents, margarine, etc.). Any version of shortbread dough works, as the highlight of this cookie is the glaze.
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Using a mixer, beat the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Finely chop the lemongrass (use the stalk, save the leaves for tea) and mix it with a tablespoon of water. Heat this mixture in the microwave for about 30 seconds to release the lemongrass’s essential oils. Divide the mixture into two equal portions.
Combine the butter-sugar mixture with the flour and one portion of the lemongrass mixture—add the flour gradually along with a pinch of salt. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to approximately 7 mm thickness. Place cookies on parchment paper and bake for 20–25 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown. The original recipe doesn’t call for a leavening agent, but I usually add it to my shortbread dough when mixing with the flour.
Combine the milk with the second portion of the lemongrass mixture and heat in the microwave for 30–40 seconds. Mix with powdered sugar and food coloring. I’d also suggest adding a few drops of lemon juice. Spread the glaze over the cooled cookies.
If you prepare lemongrass syrup using the method described above, you can add it to any dough or cream. The fresh citrusy aroma doesn’t have an overwhelming taste, so lemongrass won’t spoil your dishes in any case. Experiment!
