Spring Abundance Table and Lemon Rosemary Flower Shortbread Biscuits

The rains have passed, and my power is back on, thankfully. Although seasons are quite subtle here, I tease out every bit or drop, rather fitting for the torrential showers. I’m very grateful for the rain, but I do love these cool yet bright sunny days as of late. My gardens, recovering from nearly drowning in water, look like a right mess. And in my absence, the deer have made themselves happy at home all around my cottage. One evening, I heard a soft knocking at my front door, only to see a mother and her baby nibbling away on my plants (which are still trying to grow back from their first visit). They raised their heads, blinked in surprise without fear, with an “Oh, hi, don’t mind us” look, and continued eating as I stood nearly 4 feet away. Oh, the joys of country living!

Despite the garden's overgrown, scrubby state, I managed to find my rosemary bush that was being strangled by kukui grass. Since my cottage was built in the 1800s, I’ve found all sorts of gems hidden that once were treasured and tenderly cared for. And this beautiful, old rosemary bush (probably 30+ years old) still managed to flower and produce its delicate fairylike flowers. Their violet-blue petals are simply gorgeous, and the bees were just as memorized as me. They were the perfect spring flourish to a lemony shortbread I made early in the morning. How have you been faring these mid-winter days? Spring is surely around the corner, even if signs are few and far between. But if we look closely, we shall find…

What brings me joy while waiting on spring, and is just a cheerful, lovely sight to see, is a bright and colorful display in my kitchen. A spring abundance table, if you will! I like to create a pretty display on my kitchen table or somewhere I usually pass, such as a side table or pantry area. Bowls of zesty lemons or oranges, an antique creamer filled with fresh spring herbs such as parsley or dill, fresh blooms (of course!), candles, anything that feels and looks bright and cherry…a reminder that spring is on the way in all of its verdant, blossoming glory. It’s creating beauty for beauty’s sake and, more importantly, our well-being in the height of winter. So, even if it’s snowing or below zero where you are at the moment, it’s all the more reason to brighten up a little corner of your kitchen. I may live in Hawaii, but who doesn’t love to see budding, oh-so-cheerful signs of spring? Every morning when I come to make a cup of coffee at 5 am and flick on the light, it’s a welcome sight to my bleary eyes in the morning winter darkness. Seasonal encouragement, if you will, for the remaining winter months. It takes such little effort, but I find it makes such a difference in your daily spirit and outlook. My pink hyacinths’ sweet, alluring fragrance fills the whole room and wafts into the next with the breeze...these little touches make a home feel like a home. A place that feels safe, joyful, sacred, soothing, and beautiful…

Here’s the simple lemon shortbread recipe with rosemary flowers if you’d like a sweet spring treat to carry you through the late afternoon. You can, of course, use any edible flowers you’d like; rosemary flowers were what I had found, but you can use a variety of favorite colorful picks. They are very delicate and dainty…much like the darling blossoms themselves.

LEMON ROSEMARY FLOWER SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

16 tablespoons good quality unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup of granulated white sugar (or powdered, which is only what I had in my pantry)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

zest of 3-4 large lemons (I like them extra lemony)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg white

1 cup or a large handful of rosemary flowers or edible flowers of choice (dry and clean)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until creamy and well-combined.

Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Stir together well.

Add the flour and salt into the mixture, and gently work the flour in until it forms a stiff, crumbly dough. It will be quite crumbly at first, but keep combining with your hands in the bowl. Add a touch of lemon juice if needed.

Bring the dough into a rough ball with your hands and wrap it in plastic wrap. Set it in the fridge to chill for at least one hour, so it’s easier to handle.

Once chilled, lightly coat your work surface with powdered sugar and roll the dough into a slab roughly 1/4” thick. Work in batches if you need to. Make sure you dust both sides of the large slab or circle well with powdered sugar, as it tends to get sticky as it warms up. Next, cut out the biscuits with a scalloped 2”-3” diameter cutter. Re-roll out the dough and continue again until the whole dough is used up.

If you’re using larger edible flowers such as nasturtiums or pansies, gently flatten them with a book or your hand so that they will adhere easier and are flatter.

Lightly whisk the egg white with a fork, and using a pastry brush, lightly brush each biscuit with the egg white.

Gently press the flower onto the wash; you can brush it again on top if need be.

Dust the top of each flowered biscuit with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are light gold in color; they will burn quickly, so keep an eye on them!

Remove them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Then, serve and enjoy your blooming spring biscuits with a hot cup of tea!