Begin by grinding 1 tablespoon of culinary lavender in a spice grinder until fine. Mix the ground lavender with ½ cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl, ensuring an even distribution.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) while you prepare your baking sheets. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 2 teaspoons of ground Earl Grey tea.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat ½ cup of very softened unsalted butter and your prepared lavender sugar until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

Carefully add 1 large room-temperature egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste to your butter-sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy.

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter mixture, stirring gently until just combined.

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop mounds of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Roll each into a ball and coat with lavender sugar.

Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes until the edges are set and the centers look slightly soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

To prepare the frosting, beat 4 ounces of softened cream cheese and ¼ cup of softened butter until fluffy. Gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of lavender sugar.

Once cool, frost each cookie generously and add purple food coloring if desired.