Honey Lavender Shortbread Sandwich Cakes with BerryCream

Ingredients

For the Honey Lavender Shortbread:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dried culinary lavender, finely crushed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the Berry Cream:

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

4 oz mascarpone cheese, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup raspberry or blackberry preserves

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Honey Drizzle:

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp warm water

For Garnish (optional):

Fresh blueberries

Small sprigs of fresh lavender

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with

parchment paper.

Cream together softened butter, sugar, honey, and

crushed lavender until light and fluffy.

Gradually mix in the flour and salt until a stiff dough

forms.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch

thickness and cut into 2-inch circles using a scalloped

cutter.

Place circles on baking sheets and bake for 12 to 15

minutes until the edges are just barely golden. Let cool

completely on a wire rack.

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream and powdered

sugar until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone, vanilla, and

berry preserves until smooth, then gently fold in the

whipped cream.

Transfer the berry cream to a piping bag fitted with a

large round tip.

Pipe a generous mound of cream onto the flat side of

half the shortbread cookies and top with the remaining

cookies to create sandwiches.

Whisk the honey and warm water together, drizzle over

the tops of the cakes, and press a fresh blueberry into the

center of each.