Strawberry Lavender Sorbet

How do you spell relaxation?  S T R A W B E R R Y   L A V E N D E R   S O R B E T !!!  There's  something  intoxicating about brushing up against a lavender bush which releases its sensual fragrance and whisks you away  to a calmer place.  I remember on a trip to a lavender farm in the Northwest years back when as soon as  the car door opened, the sweet smell of relaxation (lavender) permeated my nostrils.  I just wanted to lay down in the field and stay until they closed or found me the next morning!

Needless to say, I wanted to go to several of my "happy places" (and I have many) recently.   But, when it's not possible, I go to my kitchen and create a smile in an ice cream dish!   This concoction definitely made the grade.   I used fresh strawberries that I cleaned and froze on a cookie sheet in the freezer, then put into freezer bags for later use.  Or you can purchase store bought frozen bags of berries.

I should note that I don't have an ice cream maker.  Why, you ask?  Probably because that is my favorite food and it would make it waaaaaay to easy to whip some up anytime I got the cravings for ice cream which I practically NEVER refuse!

Strawberry Lavender Sorbet

2 cups frozen strawberries

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp culinary lavender

1 cup water

First, make the lavender simple syrup by bringing the water, sugar and lavender to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one minute.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Strain through a fine mesh colander, (to remove the lavender buds).  At this point place the strained simple syrup into an empty ice cube tray and freeze.  When frozen, start the next step.

In a blender toss in the strawberries, simple syrup and a small amount of water, and pulse/blend until smooth.  You may need a bit more water to give it a smooth texture.  Serve immediately or put into a freezer container and freeze for later.  Soooo refreshing!

Lavender Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I may have found my calling.  I  imagine life in a small coastal Italian town where biscotti abounds and people come to my shop to taste my latest biscotti creations!  A girl can dream, right?   I'm currently on a biscotti baking bender!  Not those hard tooth breaking kind where a cup of coffee or glass of milk is a requirement for dunking (softening).  My biscotti are crunchy on the outside but chewy till the last bite.

As you know I like to cook or bake with secret ingredients.  This time I sprinkled a bit of culinary lavender into the batter.  What a pleasant surprise!   Now, to figure a way to market them.  Yes, they were that good!  Stay tuned for more flavors and variations of my "Beloved Biscotti".

This recipe makes between 40-50 biscotti. (2 loaves cut roughly into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices)  I made both with lavender but only one had the addition of blueberry craisins.  Both were quite wonderful.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted or not)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp culinary lavender, crushed

1/2 cup chocolate chips or small chunks

2 large eggs, for batter

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberry flavored craisins (optional)

2 Tbsp water (depending on dough consistency)

1 egg, beaten for brushing the tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl hand mix the hazelnuts, sugar, baking powder, flour, lavender and chocolate chips.  

In a smaller bowl stir in the 2 eggs and vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture along with the blueberry craisins, if using.  Flour your hands and use a well floured surface (bread board) to start working with the dough.  It will be VERY sticky and will look like a mistake.  Persevere!  It will come together.  If it's too dry, add some of the water.  If it's too wet add a bit of flour.  Form a ball and cut in half.

On the floured surface roll each piece into a log shape approximately 12 inches long, 3 inches wide and only 3/4 inch high.  Do the same with the other loaf.  Arrange on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Brush with the beaten egg.

Bake for 40 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through.  The loaves should be golden colored.  Remove and cool for 20 minutes before slicing.  Resist the urge to eat them.

After cooling slide them onto a cutting surface.  Using a serrated knife cut into 3/4 inch slices.

At this point you have a BIG decision to make.  For traditional biscotti (harder), reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees.  Place the cut biscotti onto the same parchment covered cookie sheet.  Bake for an additional 20 minutes.  I like my biscotti softer so I either don't do the second baking or only bake the second time for 10 minutes.  You can choose.  Remove when done, cool and store in an airtight container.

Here are the chocolate lavender blueberry biscotti!

Lemon Lavender Bars

If I had my way, I would re-plant my whole backyard with lavender plants!  And if I lived in a more tropical area, lemon trees would dot my landscape.   Why?  Because there are so many things you can do with both.  Why not mix them to make these lemon lavender bars. 

I've been on a lemon kick lately.  As we speak I have homemade limoncello "macerating" in a large jar, waiting for the last step.  (future post)  When making the lemony liqueur you only use the peel, so now I have juice galore.   Lemonade anyone?

As you bite into these bars, I promise, you'll be pleasantly surprised by a tart crunch of shortbread and lavender permeating your mouth as the  lemony glaze melts in your mouth.   Great for a brunch or wedding shower or a treat for no reason!

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp culinary lavender buds, slightly crushed with a spoon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring

For the glaze:

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Either butter and flour an 8x8 metal pan or spray with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper, then butter the bottom.  You'll be able to lift the bars right out of the pan.

In a small bowl add the flour, lavender and salt.  Set aside for now.  In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the 1 stick (4 oz) of butter and powdered sugar on high speed until light and fluffy.  Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix on low speed.  Gradually add the flour.  The dough will be very sticky.  Dip your fingers into water to work with the dough and press the dough into the pan.    Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

For the glaze, just whisk together the lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar.  Pour and spread onto the cooled bars.  Make sure they cool for another hour or so, remove from the pan and cut into squares.  Makes about 16 pieces.  Delicious!!

A Kiss in Provence

This special Valentine Cocktail was like a kiss in Provence.  Not that I would know, but it's what I can fantasize about.  I picture myself, and hubby , of course,  in the South of France, perhaps in  June or July when the lavender  is blooming and the sunflowers are beginning to reach towards the sun.  Our ancient stone villa we have rented has a distant sweeping view of the sea.  We've spent the day at the beach and are relaxing on the vine covered terrace before our meal.  At the market we purchased fresh from the sea mussels, a bunch of fennel, garlic, a selection of cheese, and chocolates.  I'll prepare a light supper later.   I could get lost in my dreams!

To bring a little love, lemon and lavender into reality, I concocted this special libation.  Several lavender bushes grow in my yard.  Right now they have a white crust of snow covering them.  Last early Fall I took the time to harvest and dry my lavender.  Glad I did...this is the result!

I made a lavender simple syrup, first.  All you do is start with 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, add about 2 Tablespoons of dried culinary lavender.  Bring it to a boil, stirring, reduce the heat to simmer for 2 minutes or so.  Remove from the heat and cool.  Strain into a jar or container and you have nectar from the South of France.  Good stuff.  You can use this so many ways.  I chose to put into a "Valentine" cocktail.

In a pitcher pour:

4 shots of vanilla vodka (It's what I had in the pantry)

4 shots of lavender simple syrup

2 shots of limoncello (It's Italian, but humor me on this one)

Add a few ice cubes, shake well, and strain into chilled glasses!  Amazingly good, any time of the year.  It is truly,  a kiss of Provence!

Lavender Lemon Drop Cookies

Over the past few years. I've been dabbling in culinary lavender recipes.  It's great in sweet and savory dishes and smells heavenly!  I now have a couple of bushes in my backyard and some have decided to spread amongst the rocks.  The plan is to let them be and to strategically add to them every year until my yard is filled with their beauty and relaxing scent!

Future backyard

I've tried making lavender pancakes, cookies and cakes and look forward to finding other ways to use this intoxicating herb.  Maybe a vanilla lavender ice cream! 

I found this recipe online from the Avonlea West Island Retreat in British Columbia.  The name suggests a serene and scenic place!  I followed it very closely because sometimes baking and me don't see eye to eye.  This time the result was good and I'll certainly make these again.

Makes about 3 dozen

10-12 sprigs of fresh lavender

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

zest from 1 lemon

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 for high altitude)  Lightly grease cookie sheet.  Peel off the lavender florets.  Cream butter and sugar in a mixer.  Add the lemon zest, juice and vanilla.  Then beat in the egg.  Blend in the dry ingredients.

The dough will be slightly sticky.  Drop by teaspoon onto the cookie sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes until a  light golden color.  Pop them in your mouth and relax!

Lavender Citrus Brunch Cake

Let us eat cake!  This one caught my eye a while back.  It's perfect for that Springtime, Easter or Mother's Day celebration.  I can't say who inspired me to make this.  It's more like where I received my inspiration and this time the idea came from my travels.  The ingredients are Mediterranean thru and thru.  Not only does it have lemon and tangerine zest, lavender and Greek yogurt but it has olive oil!  Can't get much better than that!

One of my dreams is to travel to Italy or the South of France  during Spring or Summer when I can be surrounded by fields of lavender, bright red poppies and Monet-like sunflowers.  That probably won't be anytime soon so I'm content (not really) to bake this Mediterranean dream cake instead!

I will warn you that after my hummingbird cake fiasco,  I have made the proper altitude (and attitude)  adjustments for this cake.  I live above 5500 feet so if you are at sea level or close,  follow along.  My adjustments for high altitude are in parenthesis.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour, all purpose is okay

1 cup sugar  (reduce by 2 Tbsp)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder  ( reduce by 1/4)

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

6 oz. Greek honey flavored yogurt

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp culinary lavender

zest of small tangerine and 1 lemon

(add 1 Tbsp water)

Preheat oven to 350 High altitude should be around 365-370.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl.  Then  add to the dry ingredients but do not overmix.  Butter and flour a 9 inch pan.  Pour the batter into it and bake for 25 mins (30 minutes) until knife inserted comes out clean.  The outside will be a golden crust while the inside will look dense and speckled with zest and lavender.  You can frost it but I found the flavors are simple and wonderful without!

The next time I try this I may add some Limoncello...yum!

Lavender Nut Pancakes

If you read yesterday's entry this is a continuation or Part II. Not only do I love lavender in my pancakes, I love the relaxing moments the plant brings. Lavender has it's roots in Spain, France and Italy. It is from the mint family so it resows itself readily. Just give it some dry sandy soil and it will usually grow. It has antiseptic properties and has been used in soaps and to clean floors! Sleep comes easier when you rub your temples with lavender essential oil or take a warm bath with bath salts. I use linen spray starch for my husband's shirts while ironing. (It lessens the burden of ironing!) It smells so good!

I'm just learning more about the culinary possibilities of the lavender plant. I like to use herbs de Provence ( lavender is one ingredient) in recipes. It's great in soups, as a rub for meats and now for pancakes! Even though I have many plants in my yard I chose to buy some culinary herb from the market.

I've used this pancake recipe for over 30 years. Or you can simply use any store bought pancake mix. I think they just taste better from scratch.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 flour

2 T sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 1/3 c milk

3 T canola or vegetable oil

Mix all of the above ingredients first. If you want thicker pancakes only use 1 c milk. Add 2 T lavender and 2 T chopped nuts. Pecans or walnuts are a good choice. Heat a griddle or skillet until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Brush with oil or pan spray. Pour the batter in pan making a few at a time. Turn them when they begin to bubble and the ends are dry. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Makes about 10 4-inch pancakes.

Warning: You may want to take a nap after these you'll be so calm!