Recipe: Lemon Verbena Shortbread

Lemon Verbena Shortbread:  I have lots of 'tea' plants in my garden but, as well as a refreshing herbal tea, you can make these easy delicious biscuits with the leaves.  Lemon verbena Aloysia citrodora is a lovely cottage garden plant that does best in a free draining soil.  It's an open shrub, with small lemon scented leaves, that can get to about 1.5m with spikes of creamy white flowers.

100 caster sugar

½ cup loosely packed lemon verbena leaves

200g unsalted butter

150g plain flour

150g wholemeal flour

pinch salt

1tbs finely grated lemon zest

1. Pulse sugar and lemon verbena leaves in a food processor until thoroughly combined and all the leaves are completely pulverised.
2. Add butter and cream until light and fluffy.
3. Seive flour with salt and mix with creamed butter and lemon zest to make a soft dough.
4. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for one hour.
5. Preheat oven to 160C
6. Roll out dough on lightly floured bench to 1cm thickness then cut into shapes with a small biscuit cutter.
7. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15-20ming until pale golden.
8. Remove from oven, cool and store in airtight container

Makes about 50 biscuits