Lavender Bird Cookies

China Squirrel has channeled her inner gypsy to create a collection of recipes and crafts using all the pretty things we love about spring.

Celebrate spring with these sweet bird cookies, subtly flavored with lavender.

MAKES ABOUT 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
7½ oz unsalted butter, chopped
2½ teaspoons edible dried lavender (available from gourmet grocery stores)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
ICING
2 eggs whites
3½ cups pure confectioners' sugar
pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper.
Place flour, salt, butter, and lavender into a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Add vanilla extract and eggs yolks.
Pulse until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
Roll dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to about ¼-inch thick.
Using a floured 3-inch bird cutter, cut 12 birds from dough, rerolling and cutting out any off-cuts.
Place onto prepared trays, and allow room for spreading.
Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10–12 minutes or until lightly golden around edges.
Allow cookies to cool on trays.
Icing: Place egg whites into a medium bowl, and whisk with a fork until foamy. Gradually add icing sugar, beating with a wooden spoon until very thick and smooth. Transfer 3 tablespoons of icing into a smaller bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Tint remaining icing pink with pink food coloring.
To decorate, pipe or spread each cookie with pink icing, and allow icing to set completely, about 25 minutes.
Spoon remaining white icing into a piping bag fitted with a no. 4 plain nozzle, and pipe around the edge of each cookie. Pipe an eye and feet onto each bird cookie. Allow icing to set, about 25 minutes.