**Let’s make some cookies featuring Lemon Balm,**
**Melissa officinalis**

Lemon Balm Cookies

Lemon balm has been described by English botanist, herbalist, physician & astrologer Nicholas Culpeper as an herb that “causes the mind & heart to become merry as it reviveth the heart.”

When we read heart in old herbalism books & literature would it surprise you that they aren’t just talking about the physical heart but the emotional heart as well.

With that being said let’s jump right in & talk about Lemon balm!

**Lemon Balm**

*Melissa officinalis*
*Picture courtesy of Canva.com*

Taste:

Sour
Sweet
Astringent

Herbal Actions of Concern:

Nervine sedative helping to gently calm the nervous system
Helps to address a state of sympathetic excess as too much adrenaline or cortisol can lead to excessive sympathetic function
Carminative properties aiding in the digestive process helping address things like gas, bloating, spasm & generalized indigestion

Energetics:

Cooling
Drying
Relaxing

Contraindications:

Hypothyroidism as it may lower thyroid levels

Ruling Planet:

Jupiter

Ruling Element:

Air

*Lemon Balm, Picture courtesy of Canva.com*

Message from Lemon Balm:

“Allow me to carry you through the roughest of your days. Allow me to be there in your celebrations & triumphs. Together we can take on the world. Let's heal your wounds so you can be the love you wish to see in the world”

- Channeled by Angela Goertzen

Lemon Balm Cookies

This recipe is very customizable based on what you have available to you & what ingredients you want to use.

The first place you can customize this recipe is with the sugar you are choosing to use.

Let’s start of by saying that when it comes to sugar, there is no sugar is what I would consider to be healthy but there are sugars that are less processed or refined and can be healthier alternatives.

The two types of sugar I’m using today is sucanat & coconut sugar.

*Image of Sugar Cane, picture courtesy of Canva.com*

Sucanat means SUgar CAne NATural & it is a product made from natural sugar cane juice.

The is prepared by first extracting the sugar can juice, boiling it & then beating it with paddles to make granules. This is why the granules are not the same shape or size like you might find with refined white sugar.

To produce white sugar you would need to chemically purify the sugar cane before boiling it & then the crystals are separated from the liquid by centrifugal machinery.

It is an unrefined product which means it contains all of its natural molasses in it which is what gives it the characteristic brown color. Just know if you are using sucanat the final baked product may be much darker in appearance than if you used refined white sugar.

It also has a stronger flavor than sugar often needing less sucanat to get the desired sweetness. However, it is generally substituted 1:1 for white or brown sugar.

It does contain the same number of calories as table sugar, honey & maple sugar it is considered to be a wholesome sweetener which means it contains antioxidants, vitamins & minerals such as potassium, calcium & magnesium that are naturally found in sugar cane.

The human body requires magnesium to process sugar. Sucanat has all of its natural magnesium & therefore will not be using any of the magnesium found within the body.

Have you ever gotten bad leg cramps on days you consumed too much sugar? What might be happening in those cases is the body is taking magnesium from the bones & tissues to use to process the sugar you ate. If you were to consume a wholesome sweetener instead which still contains its magnesium content the body won’t have to take it from other places.

Sucanat helps to support brain function because of its glucose content. The human body needs glucose to function optionally as the brain consumes almost half of the body’s glucose requirements. Could this mean this cookie could help with brain fog? Maybe, I’ll let you be the judge

*Image of Coconut Palm Trees, courtesy of Canva.com*

Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the coconut palm tree

It is very minimally processed, once the nectar is collected it is mixed with water, boiled into a syrup & allowed to dry & crystalize. When it is completely dry it is broken apart to create sugar granules.

Contains trace amounts of vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium & zinc as well as soluble fiber inulin which has been linked to lower risk of blood sugar spikes.

Lemon Balm Cookies

Recipe- Makes approximately 40 cookies

1 cup room temperature butter —> Mine was infused with Rose & Lavender which added a mild but lovely floral taste. See notes on how to make your own
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cup flour
2 tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp dried lemon balm or ⅓ cup fresh lemon balm chopped
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Cream butter & 1 to ¾ cup of sugar depending on desired sweetness
Add eggs & vanilla, beat well
Add lemon balm, lemon zest, lemon juice mix until combined
In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder & salt
Add flour mixture to the butter mixture & mix until combined
Roll dough into balls approximately 1 teaspoon in size
Drop 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet
Flatten slightly with a fork or cup bottom
Sprinkle lightly with remaining sugar
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes
Cool slightly & place of cooling rack

Notes:

If you didn’t have lemon balm you could use lemongrass, lemon basil or a combination of lemon balm, lemon grass & lemon basil.
You could roll the balls in sugar before flattening them.
To make infused butter
1) Clarify the butter with your preferred method.
I like to do the oven method by placing the butter into an oven safe pan at 200 F for about an hour
Once the butter is melted you should have 2 layers, a golden butter layer & a milky layer. The milky layer are the milk solids
Carefully pour the hot golden liquid into another container or jar leaving the white milky liquid behind
Or you could place the entire container into the fridge & allow the butter to solidity before removing it from the container

2) Remelt the butter & infuse with the herbs of your choice

I used my Levo II machine to infuse the butter with Rose & Lavender for 5 hours at 170F
To infuse on the stove, finely chop your herbs keeping in mind fresh herbs will have a stronger flavor compared to dried. Over low heat allow the herbs & butter to simmer for up to 1 hour making sure that the butter doesn't get too hot or start to burn

Comment down below & let me know how this recipe turned out for you, did you customize it or leave it as it? I’d love to hear about it

Be sure to come back next week & learn how to make your own lip balm

Until next time, may you find Peace wherever you are!