Pamper Yourself Homemade Herbal Tea and Lavender Shortbread

By: Candace Jedrowicz and Candace Liccione

Homemade edible gifts are a great option for a neighbor, friend or loved one! Make Pamper Yourself Homemade Herbal Tea and Lavender Shortbread from Candace Jedrowicz for someone that needs to kick up their heels and relax. It's a comforting gift that will warm the soul.

Materials for cookies:

Butter (1-1/2 cups – softened)
Sugar (3/4 cup)
Flour (3 cups)
Vanilla (1 teaspoon)
Lavender flowers (2 Tablespoons – dried or fresh from your garden)

Instructions for cookies:

Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and lavender, beating until blended. Add the flour 1 cup at a time. Mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Roll the dough into walnut size balls. Place about 2″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Press each ball with a cookie press to about 1/4″ thick. Bake for about 15 minutes. The cookies will be slightly browned on the bottom. Using the cookie stamps: There are a couple schools of thought about this – use what works for you. I use the stamp for the first cookie without anything on it, then I dip it in sugar for each additional pressing. You could oil the stamp before pressing, or roll the dough balls in sugar before pressing.

To clean the cookie press:

NEVER USE SOAP ON THE CERAMIC PRESSES. Earthenware is porous and will hold the soap forever! Rinse with very hot water and use a soft brush (like a toothbrush) to remove any dough. Allow to dry before storing. Click here to purchase Candace J’s cookie presses at the Cool2Craft marketplace.

Materials for tea:

Loose tea (spearmint, lemongrass, chamomile, raspberry leaf passion flower, elder flowers, roses, linden)
Tea bag
Optional: Plastic bag for gifting

Instructions for tea:

Use a teaspoon of loose tea per cup, in a bag or strainer. Pour boiling water over the tea in the cup and steep for several minutes.
The Pamper Me Tea contains herbs that assist you when you need a break, need to allow yourself to sit down and have a cup of tea, read a magazine or a book, put your needs first and to enjoy herbs that help with anxiety, stress and are digestive and calming. The spearmint is yummy and gives lots of flavor, the lemongrass is culinary, antiseptic, anti- microbial, anti bacterial, antifungal, and has antioxidants, is good for stress, digestion, cramping, gas and is rich in minerals. The chamomile is very calming, is a gentle sedative, good for anxiety, insomnia, good for your nervous system and good for digestion. The raspberry leaf is just a wonderful female system herb. The passion flower is a natural tranquilizer and rejuvenates you if your nerves are shot, good also for colds and insomnia and nervous headaches, elder flowers are warming, roses are added for flavor, for loving yourself, and are full of vitamins, and finally linden is good for nervous tension, is digestive, good for insomnia.