Lavender Blackberry Scones

PC: Oregon Berries

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup cold buttermilk
• 1 cup fresh blackberries(you can used thawed and drained berries from the freezer although the scones will have a more purple color)
• 1 beaten egg and granulated sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Work the butter into the dry ingredients until some of the butter flakes are the size of peas and some are the size of oat flakes.    In another bowl, combine egg and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.  Fold in the blackberries.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times.  Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness.  Cut into 2-inch rounds using a round cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares.  Reshape and roll dough to create more scones with excess scraps.    Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar.   Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm.  Scones are best the day they’re made, and though they can be frozen and lightly reheated in the oven if you need a future treat.

Recipe by Joy the Baker

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Lavender Brownies

Ingredients

• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground culinary lavender
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F.
Line a 9x9-inch pan with aluminum foil
Microwave the chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Mix the ground lavender and sugar together and then stir into the butter/chocolate mix. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add flour and nuts; mix well. 
Pour into pan and then bake for 45-50 min. or until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool completely. Remove brownies from pan, peel off foil, and then cut into squares. Sprinkle with sea salt and a few lavender buds for decoration. 

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Lemon Lavender Bundt Cake

Recipe by Pam Baker
This is a variation of my Mom's much-loved Rum Cake
Ingredients 
For the Cake:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 3.4 ounce pkge instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2.5 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender buds, crushed
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
•  4 large eggs

For the Lemon Glaze 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp crushed, dried culinary lavender buds

Directions:
For the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat large Bundt pan with shortening or nonstick spray and then lightly flour.

Mix together cake mix, pudding mix,  water, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs and mix well to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean, about 40 minutes. 

Using a long wooden skewer, poke holes in the top of the cake about 1" apart, all the way to the bottom. Do not remove from the pan. Follow the directions below for adding the glaze.

For the glaze
Mix the sugar and the lemon juice and heat until the sugar dissolves into a syrup. Do not add the lemon zest and lavender yet.

Pour 1/2 of the glaze over the cake while it's still in the pan. Let the cake rest for 15 minutes and then invert the pan over a plate and carefully remove the cake from the pan onto the plate.

Mix the other half of the syrup with the lemon zest and lavender buds. Heat in a small pot and let it reduce about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.

​Remove from the heat, wait about 15 seconds, and then pour the syrup with the zest and the lavender buds in it over the top of the cake and allow to cool.

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​Lavender Lemon Bars

When my husband and I were in graduate school in Davis, one of our favorite treats came from the UC Davis Coffeehouse.  Thankfully the students created a coffeehouse cookbook (sadly out of print), so that we were able to bring those lemon bars with us.  This recipe is an adapted version of that UC Davis coffeehouse recipe, with a lavender twist.  

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 c white flour
• 1 c wheat flour
• ¼ c powdered sugar
• ¼ c lavender sugar

Filling

• 4 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c lavender sugar
• 6 Tb fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tb grated lemon rind
• ¼ c flour
• ½ tsp baking powder

Directions

For the crust:  In a large mixing bowl, blend flours and powdered and lavender sugars together.  Add butter and mix until a dough forms.  Press dough into a lightly greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 min or until lightly browned.

For the filling:  Mix eggs, lavender and regular sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind.  Add flour and baking powder and mix well.

Once the crust is done, pour the lemon/lavender filling onto the crust and then bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min longer or until filling is set.

Sprinkle with confectioners sugar  (or lavender sugar if you want a little more lavender flavor)

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Lavender Lemon Shortbread Mini Cookies
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup butter soft
• 1 tsp ground culinary lavender 
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 and 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• Culinary lavender bud, whole

Instructions

1. In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter in mixer
2. Add the lemon zest and lavender.
3. Add the flour and blend dough until it holds together.
4. Cool in the fridge for ½  hour.
5. Preheat the over at 400F and prepare a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
6. Roll small bite-sized balls of dough and slightly compress with the back of a spoon
7. Bake for 8 minutes or until it is slightly golden.
8. In a small bowl, combine icing sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
9. Dip the tops of the cooled lavender lemon cookies and sprinkle with a few lavender buds​

Makes 35-40 small bite-sized cookies.

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Apple Lavender Muffins

• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 1.5 teaspoons lavender ground buds
• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup apple, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1) Coat 12 muffin tins with cooking spray or line with muffin cups.

2) In a large bowl, sift together flour; sugar; baking powder and salt. Make a well in center.

3 )In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, lavender; butter and egg. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand until the batter is just evenly moistened. Fold in the apples.

4) Fill the prepared muffin tins about three-quarters full. Bake until knife inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

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Lavender Salted Caramel Fudge

Source: Boulderlocavore.com

​Part 1:  The Fudge
Ingredients for Chocolate Lavender Fudge

• 32 ounces (2 ½ cups) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 30 ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoon Culinary Lavender, finely ground (in a spice grinder, clean spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle).

Instructions for Chocolate Lavender Fudge:

1. Line a 9 by 9 inch square baking pan with foil. Set aside.
2. Place all ingredients into the top of a double boiler or heatproof metal bowl over a pot of boiling water. Stirring often, allow the chocolate chips and butter to melt and combine all into a smooth, creamy mixture.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator a few hours until set, or overnight.

Part 2:  The Topping

Ingredients for Salted Caramel Top:

• 1 teaspoons Sea Salt granules, Grey Salt or flaked finishing salt
• 2 teaspoon Culinary Lavender
• 2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions for Salted Caramel Top:

1. Remove the lavender fudge from the refrigerator to sit at room temperature while the caramel is prepared. In a small bowl mix together the finishing salt and lavender for the top of the caramel; set aside.
2. Place sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow sugar to warm until it begins to melt (approximately 5-8 minutes). Begin to stir the sugar to hasten melting and ensure no burning; stir until fully liquefied (approximately 10-12 minutes from starting to heat the sugar).
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the butter. It will splatter so be careful to avoid getting burned. Stir to fully melt and incorporate the butter.
4. Slowly drizzle the cream into the caramel mixture, again it will splatter. Stir to fully mix together. Remove from heat and allow to cool only for 3 to 4 minutes (if it cools longer it will begin to set and not spread on top of the fudge).

Part 3:  Putting it all together

1. Spread the caramel on the top of the fudge quickly, smoothing it evenly over the top. Quickly sprinkle the salt and lavender mixture on the top of the fudge before it sets. Return to the refrigerator to set for a few hours.
2. Remove the fudge from the refrigerator to cut it. Lift the fudge in the foil out of the 9 by 9 inch pan. The caramel top will be firm but can be cut and will soften when at room temperature. Cut the fudge into ¾ inch by ¾ inch pieces. Wrap in candy foil or serve straight away!

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Lavender Truffles

from bakingmagique.com

Yield: 20 truffles

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender buds
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/3 cup dark chocolate pieces, roughly chopped
• cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Bring the whipping cream to a gentle simmer in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the lavender buds. Cover with a lid and steep for 12 min.
2. Place the chopped up chocolate in a medium sized glass bowl. Pour the lavender cream through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl and discard the lavender buds.
3. Add the honey and place the bowl over a sauce pan with boiling water to create a water bath. Whisk until you have a smooth and lump free ganache.
4. Let cool in room temperature before chilling it in the fridge for a couple of hours until it firms up.
5. Use a melon baller, mini cookie scoop or a spoon to make 20 small balls. Roll them between the palms of your hands, don’t worry about them looking to perfect.
6. Place a generous amount of cocoa powder in a shallow bowl and roll the truffles in the cocoa.

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