A lovely Mary Berry recipe, recommended by Lyn Barwick.

Ingredients

175g softened unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh, unsprayed, finely chopped lavender flowers (pick them off the stems to measure)

100g caster sugar

225g plain flower

25g demerara sugar

Method

Lightly grease 3 large baking trays. Put the softened butter and the lavender into a mixing bowl and beat together. (This will obtain the maximum flavour from the lavender).

Beat the caster sugar into the butter and lavender and then stir in the flour, bringing the mixture together with your hands and kneading lightly until smooth.

Divide the mixture in half and roll out to form two sausage shapes 15cm (6in) long. Roll the biscuit “sausages” in the demerara sugar until evenly coated. Wrap in baking parchment or foil and chill until firm.

Pre-heat the oven to 160C or Fan 140C or Gas mark 3.

Cut each “sausage” into about 10 slices and put them on the prepared baking trays, allowing a little room for them to spread. Bake for 15 to 20 mins, until the biscuits are pale golden at the edges. Lift them off the trays with a fish slice or palette knife and leave to cool on a wire rack.