Spruce tips are a delightful spring flavor that remind me of everything I love about the forest, + sugar. They have wonderful citrus notes, and can be used and preserved in a variety of ways. Harvesting the young, tender shoots of new growth should be done carefully and selectively, as removing new growth can result in stunted tree growth and poor health. Also, never harvest tips from the top of trees. The removal of the upper main stem and new growth can cause disease, and makes the tree vulnerable to insects. It also removes the most productive portion of the tree. We foragers always protect what we love!
I decided to use some of my harvest to make the spruce tip shortbread cookies. They’re absolutely delicious!! Of course shortbread is traditionally made with butter, but I used coconut oil instead. Either way, the proportions are the same.
Ingredients:
I/2 cup fresh spruce tips (buds)
1/4 cup sugar (ideally, confectioners sugar or they’ll be grainy)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
Instructions:
Place all ingredients except the coconut oil into a food processor and blend together. Then, add the coconut oil and pulse until mixed. The dough will be crumbly. Gather the crumbles into a bowl, and shape into large ball. Next, portion out 1-inch balls, flatten each between your hands, and set onto a cookie sheet. Once all cookies are formed, place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes, covered with a towel. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove the cookies from the baking pan and place them on a cooling rack covered with a paper towel. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.
These cookies will store for a few days, and freeze well (if they last that long).