Lembas Bread

Oh Look! A Recipe on a Food Blog!

I probably need to do that once in a while.

Someone on our Facebook Geeks Group posted that his wife had made him Lembas bread for some special day (I forget which) and I asked for the recipe. (For any non-geeks here, Lembas is the special bread that the Elves eat in Lord of the Rings.) Someone else in the group responded with this link. Here I have to admit that with all my years of cooking I’ve only ever made and eaten shortbread cookies: I didn’t know shortbread was a thing unto itself. I downloaded and 3D-printed a Lembas bread/ Mallorn leaf cookie cutter (since we have filament now). I made the bread several times with a variety of ingredients, because first we were out of one thing and then out of another. After a few shopping trips and a few more variations I found a recipe that the whole family agrees is the best.

Lembas Shortbread

2 3/4 C flour + 1/4 C for rolling
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 C butter
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1/3 C honey
1/3 C heavy cream *
2 Tbsp lavender chamomile* *—crushed fine

In a large bowl combine the flour, soda, salt, and tea.
In a medium bowl cream together the sugar, butter, honey, and cream.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Add extra flour pinch by pinch if it’s too wet.
Roll out onto floured surface to between 1/8-1/4 inch thick; cut with your favorite cookie cutter.
Sprinkle a baking sheet with sugar before putting the shortbreads onto it; bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.
The amount it makes depends on the size of your cookie cutters, with a 2inch square I can get aproxx. 3 dozen. Keep in an airtight container.

* can substitute milk and sour cream mixed together

**2 tea bags