I love how every full moon has a slightly different magic. A special energy. A unique personality derived from the sign and the season and the astrological climate. Tonight marks May's Full Moon. The Flower Moon, to be exact. A moon to honor the season of abundance and fertility and floral magic that is springtime. A moon that buzzes with growth and transformation.

Marking the new and full moons with a small ritual has become one of my favorite ways to tap into the natural cycles. To reconnect to a time when we relied on the moon as our primary calendar. To a time when we lived by her seasons. The moon affects everything from female fertility to animal migrations, so it makes perfect sense that for much of human existence, tracking her progress across the heavens was an essential part of daily life.  It's only been the past few centuries, with the advent of electric lights and 10-day forecasts, that we have started to move away these intrinsic cycles. And I have a sneaking suspicion we are missing her...our sister moon. That we feel her pulling on the tides of our bodies and yearn to mark her phases. To remember the old rituals. The forgotten songs embedded in our DNA. She control's the tides, after all, and what are we if not mostly water?

So to honor tonight's lovely Flower Moon, I filled a basket with the first delicate pansies from the garden and whipped up a batch of these super simple shortbread cookies. The earl grey is subtle and earthy, while the lemon adds a cheerful brightness that feels like spring. And who doesn't love eating flowers? It always makes me feel extra goddessey.

These little guys came together in about 30 mins and I pretty much made up the recipe as I went. Like I said, the primary goal here was eating flowers. Oh, and finding and excuse to use this sweet little vintage moon cookie cutter from my sister. Pansies are indeed edible, but make sure you are only harvesting where you know no nasty chemicals have been sprayed. A happy afternoon of flower foraging is an essential part of the process.

So pour yourself a cup of tea and gather a few fresh blooms, sweet friends. Tonight's moon feels extra sparkly. 

Wishing you love and flowers and full moon blessings.

Ingredients: 

- zest from 1/2 a lemon

- juice from 1/2 a lemon

- 1 tsp earl grey tea

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1 cup flour

- 1/3 cup powdered sugar

- 2 TBS granulated sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 2 tsp meringue powder

- a few fresh organic edible pansies (picked from a location that hasn't been sprayed with anything nasty)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the earl grey tea into a coarse powder. Finely chop the zest from half a lemon.

3. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 of the chopped lemon zest with the granulated sugar. Mix together until fragrant.

4. In a mixing bowl, beat together the remaining lemon zest, earl grey, butter, flour, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt until combined. 

5. Keep beating and slowly add in the flour until the dough starts to come together. It will still be a bit crumbly, so add in the lemon juice until a fragrant dough is formed.

6. Form into a round of dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for 30 mins to firm it up a bit.

7. On a lightly floured surface (you don't want to add too much flour if you can help it), roll out the dough to 1/4" thickness. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of the lemon sugar you have set aside and lightly roll with the rolling pin to help it adhere.

8. Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out cookies and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

9. Chill baking sheets with cookies in fridge for additional 10 mins to keep cookies from spreading.

10. Bake at 350° F for 10 - 12 mins or until edges begin to barely brown. (Decorating instructions below.)

Decorating:

1. While cookies are still barely warm, use a chopstick to make a little indentation in the center of each cookie. This will be used to help "sink" the back of the flower and help it lay flat.

2. Wash flowers and allow to air dry on a clean towel.

3. Allow cookies to cool completely. In a small bowl, mix 2 tsp meringue powder with 2 tsp water until a paste is formed.

4. Decorate cookies one at a time. Using a new clean paintbrush, paint the top of the cookie with the meringue paste. I like to put a little extra paste in the indentation to help secure the flower. Paint the back side of one pansy as well.

5. Using your fingers, gently press the back of the flower into the indentation, then delicately press each petal onto the cookie. 

6. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon sugar for extra sparkle. The meringue paste will help it adhere. 

7. Allow meringue paste to dry and enjoy!

xo,