Recipes

Lavender in the Kitchen!

Like me, you may not have realized that lavender is one of the ingredients in Herbs de Provence - that near magical concoction that makes everything you grill taste great. Herbs de Provence is one of the few uses of lavender for savory foods that I know.  Lavender is more commonly used in sweets.

For sweets and baking, it is important to use an English Lavender variety to avoid the soapy or camphor taste that is associated with Lavindin varieties. Royal Velvet is my favorite culinary lavender with beautiful, deep purple blossoms. It comes at a price - the buds drop from the plant the moment they mature.  You need to be ready to harvest at just that moment to catch the buds before they drop to the ground. The recipes included here are sweet rather than savory. 

Lavender Martini

As easy as 1...2...3.  Or rather 3...2...1

  • 3 ounces gin
  • 2 ounces lavender syrup*
  • 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • dash of orange bitters (optional)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Enjoy!

Lavender Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons lavender buds

Heat water and sugar over medium high heat stirring a bit until sugar is dissolved. Add lavender, bring to a boil.  Turn heat back and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Cover pan and steep for an hour or more.

Strain through a fine sieve into a glass container with a tight lid. Refrigerate. Keeps for two weeks.

Use Lavender Syrup to:
   ~ sweeten your morning latte
   ~ as the liquid component of a sugar glaze to add lavender to any sweet
   ~ replace the sugar in lemonade for lavender lemonade

Lemon Lavender short bread cookies

   ~ 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
   ~ 1/4 tsp. salt
   ~1/3 cup sugar
   ~1 1/2 tsp. lavender
   ~1 tsp grated lemon zest
   ~1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature
   ~1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

additional sugar for sprinkling
additional flour for rolling

Method

  1. Combine flour and salt and set aside
  2. Combine sugar lavender and lemon zest and muddle
    ~ try to smash the lavender buds, it not only releases the oils and flavor, the whole buds are not so pleasant in the finished cookie
    ~ if you think to do this ahead, combine and let set overnight to infuse the flavors in the sugar
  3. Cream together sugar and butter until smooth
  4. Add vanilla
  5. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  6. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment or use a silicone liner
  7. Use flour on rolling pin and work surface to avoid sticking. Roll dough to 1/4' thick
  8. Cut cookies about 2" around. Sprinkle with sugar
  9. Bake for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.