For the Lavender Sugar

1. To make the lavender sugar, place 1 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Add the 2 tablespoons of culinary lavender buds. Process for 20 seconds to blend well. Add the remaining 2 cups of sugar and pulse until well mixed. You will still see some small pieces of lavender. All 3 cups will be used in this recipe, but if you want to make extra lavender sugar, just repeat the recipe and store the sugar in your pantry for up to 6 months.

For the Lemon Bars

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
2. Line your baking pan with one 9x16 inch sheet of parchment paper—it should cover the bottom of the pan and come up the shorter sides about an inch.
3. Lay another 12x16 inch sheet of parchment paper over the top of the other sheet—it should hang over both long edges of the pan so you can use it to lift the bars out of the pan later.
4. Lightly spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Prepare the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter with ½ cup of the lavender sugar and lemon zest. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and salt. Beat on low until combined. You can also use a hand mixer but it is easier to add the flour slowly using a stand mixer.
6. Using lightly floured hands, spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Use your fingers to firmly push down on the mixture going about ½-inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate or freeze the dough in the pan for 15 minutes to harden the butter. This will help keep the dough from sinking down during baking.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Prepare the filling while the crust bakes. You will want your filling to be ready before the crust is done baking.
8. To make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the 8 eggs, lemon juice, limoncello, remaining 2½ cups of lavender sugar and lemon zest. Sift the flour over the mixture and gently combine using a wire whisk until no streaks of flour remain.
9. When the crust is done, slide the oven rack part-way out of the oven, leaving the hot pan there. Carefully pour the filling over the hot crust and slide it back into the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325 °F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center barely jiggles when you tap the pan. The filling will firm up during the cooling process. Make sure to cool it in the pan and, once cooled, place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours to allow the filling to set.
10. When ready to cut into squares, carefully use the overhanging edges of parchment paper to lift the shortbread out of the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut the shortbread into 24 squares (see my pro tip in the blog post above).
11. Dust the cut squares with confectioners’ sugar and garnish, if you like, with dried lavender and candied lemon zest. Enjoy!