Pressed Flower Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 3 baking sheets, or as many as you have, with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric hand or stand mixer for 3–5 minutes, until the butter and sugar are fully combined and there are no visible bits of butter, but before the mixture becomes fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, orange extract, vanilla bean seeds, and orange zest and beat to incorporate.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, but still crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and bring together with your hands into a smooth ball.

Lightly flour the surface and the top of the dough. Roll the dough out to about ¼-inch-thick. Use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to punch out cookies, re-rolling the scraps and cutting out more cookies. Place the cookie cut-outs on the prepared baking sheets.

Working in batches if needed, bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.

While the cookies bake, remove any stems and leaves from the flowers and lay them on a paper towel.

Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place the edible flowers onto the cookies, patting the flowers down gently to ensure they stick. Place another baking sheet on top of the cookies to weigh down for 1–2 minutes; this will help press the flowers into the cookies as they cool. Remove the baking sheet and let the cookies cool completely to firm.

Arrange the cookies on a platter or in a gift box and serve.

Enjoy!