Lavender Recipes

Here are a few Lavender recipes to try regardless if you are a beginner or a Lavender aficionado! Tasty and easy to make. Please use organically grown, non-sprayed "Sweet" Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for best results. "Hidcote" Lavender will give you the best colour for any infusions eg. syrups, jelly or vinegars.

Lavender Amaratti Biscuits 2012
January Bonus Recipe - Lynda's Lavender Marmalade!
Frances' Secret Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Lynda's Lavender-Lemon Curd
Granny's Fluffy Scones
Fresh Lavender Ice Cream
Lavender Harvest Fudge
Lavender Shortbread
Lavender Herbal Jelly
Lavender Lemonade

See Lynda's article on edible flowers ~ "Eating Lavender & Beyond!"

Want more Lavender cooking recipes? Lavender Recipe Links

Lavender Amaratti Biscuits 2012

• 2 cups raw almonds* (approx 450 grams)
• 2 TBSP dried Lavender flowers, approx 4 grams (3 TBSP fresh)
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp icing sugar
• 2/3 cup egg whites only (4-5 egg whites)
• 2 tsp almond extract

* Pre-skinned or blanched Almonds can be purchased, check for freshness, toast as below.

To de-skin the almonds; first in a heat proof bowl pour boiling water over almonds to cover, let sit one minute, drain & cover with cold water. Drain again. Skins should slide off easily. Pat almonds dry. Place on a cookie sheet and carefully toast in the oven 3-4 minutes, stir every couple of minutes. Cool.

Place almonds, sugars, and Lavender in a food processor & blend very fine. In a separate bowl, whip eggs whites very stiffly. Fold egg whites into nut mix with almond extract to form paste-like batter.

Using a melon scoop or rounded teaspoon, place small spoonfuls of batter on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, allowing room for cookies to spread as they bake.

Bake 10-12 minutes until bottoms golden.

Cool before packing in airtight tin. “Delizioso!”

Lynda's Lavender Marmalade!

• 7 Seville Marmalade Oranges
• 1 Myers Lemon if possible or regular Lemon
• 9 cups of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons dried Sweet Lavender flowers
• Optional: Touch of brandy to top up each jar as you cap! (or Scotch says Michael!)

Day 1: Quarter Oranges & Lemon, set aside the seeds.Slice fruits thinly, pith & all and place in large stainless pot. Add 12 cups of water & let sit over night to soften. Place seeds in a cup; barely covering with water, these will create a gel that is the secret to real English Marmalade...

Day 2: Bring oranges, with lemon to a boil. Lower to a strong simmer & time one hour. Then add sugar plus Lavender...Bring to a rolling boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place clean jam jars in a 200°F oven to sterilize for 20 minutes. Place inner sealer lids in a small pot with water & bring to a boil to soften seal. Keep lids & jars hot. Lower Marmalade to a gentle boil. Cook up to 30 minutes more MAX. To gel testing; place a saucer in the freezer to chill. Test gel of Marmalade by placing half a teaspoon on the cold saucer to check how runny your Marmalade is. Saucer sample should thicken & "wrinkle" when tipped to test consistency...Remove Marmalade pot from heat 5 minutes before pouring into hot jars. Place a teaspoon of brandy on top of each filled jar, stir with a chopstick & cap & screw on rings. Let completely cool before wiping any sticky jars. Let age a couple of weeks to mature with brandy, keeping one jar to use at Breakfast~ tomorrow! Makes a dozen 250ml jars.

Frances' Secret Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies!

… try and resist these straight from the oven … Makes approx 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup real butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• *** 2 Tbsp. dried Sweet Lavender flowers (3-4 Tbsp. fresh flowers)
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 generous cup good chocolate chips

Bowl 1: Blend butter, sugar & Lavender until smooth. Add egg, milk & vanilla in next.

Bowl 2: Blend oatmeal, flour, and baking powder together; add in your chocolate chips to this dry mix.

Blend both mixes together to form soft dough.
(If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour.)

Place by teaspoons onto baking tray.
Set oven @ 350° F
Bake 10 minutes for soft cookies, 15 mins for crisp ones.

OPTIONAL: Add 3 or 4 pieces of crystallized ginger finely chopped OR zest of one orange. OR: 1 cup nuts, raisins, coconut OR dried sweetened cranberries.
FOR A CHOCOLATE dough base: Add ½ cup of cocoa powder in with flour & sugar and decrease the chocolate chip amount slightly.

Lynda's Lavender-Lemon Curd

• 1/2 cup of real butter
• 1¼ cup white sugar
• 2 lemons, rind & juice up to 1/2 cup
• 4 well beaten eggs
• pinch of salt
• 1 TBSP dried lavender flowers or 3 TBSP fresh

Use a double boiler; bring water underneath to a boil then lower to simmer.
Place butter & sugar first in the top pot to melt together, and then add the rest of the ingredients.
Whisk gently until smooth and thickened.
Pour through a sieve over a heat proof bowl then spoon into two clean jam jars and cool. Keep refrigerated…about a week if you are lucky!

Meanwhile…to make my Granny’s Fluffy Scones!

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 tsp cream of tartar + 1 tsp soda
  (OR 3 tsp baking powder)
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten*
  (*No eggs…use 2 TBSP plain good yogurt)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup currants optional

Blend butter into dry ingredients.
Mix eggs & milk with a fork.
Make a "well" in the dry ingredients & mix lightly.
Turn out onto floured board.
Handle gently, barely knead.
Roll until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes; a simple drinking glass will do, flour the rim, and twist as you cut to release scone.
Bake @ 400 F (200C) for 10 minutes. Serve warm!

EXTRA: Celebration time coming up?
Mix one cup of this lovely Lavender-Lemon Curd with one cup of stiffly whipped cream & use this for the filling or icing on a cake, garnish with fresh berries!

Fresh Lavender Ice Cream

• 2 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups light cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 handful fresh Lavender angustifolia flowers*

*The deeper the colour of your Lavender flowers, the more colour your ice cream will have. I use our deepest coloured "Hidcote " Sweet Lavender. Pick when just freshly opening, not older over bloom for the freshest taste.

1. Gently heat the milk and fresh Lavender together. Do not boil.
2. Strain out the Lavender & stir in the salt & sugar while still hot.
3. Stir in vanilla extract & cream.
4. Chill immediately, minimum 2 hours.
5. Churn or process as your ice cream maker directs, then skip to step #8.
   OR by hand follow steps #6 & #7~
6. Pour mixture into a stainless steel bowl and place in your freezer.
7. Every 15 minutes, whisk or beat until icy or thickened.
8. In the last few minutes or just before you remove from the ice cream maker: sprinkle in a few fresh florets of Lavender! Fresh raspberries an option or Lemon peel zest.

PS: Dried angustifolia Sweet Lavender can be used, try 3 Tbsp. and add when milk is already heated, time 5 minutes, strain immediately. Then follow as above. Over steeping with dried Lavender makes the taste bitter & the colour grey. If you like a stronger Lavender flavour, use 4-5 Tbsp. dried Sweet Lavender.

Lavender Harvest Fudge

• 2 cups (12 oz.) good chocolate chips (for special occasions use Belgian chocolate!)
• 1 tin (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 Tbsp. dried Lavender flowers (3 Tbsp. fresh)
  - measure, then grind finely, use a clean coffee grinder

Melt everything together in a double boiler. Add 3 tbsp. butter. Stir until smooth and melted.

Pour into a pan lined with wax paper (approximately 9" x 9"). Cover with Saran Wrap. Chill overnight.

Cut into 1" squares. Wrap like "sweets" in twists of wax paper. Decorate with a sticker smiley face!

*Recipe can be doubled, use 9" x 12" pan. Stripe it using white chocolate for top layer and dark for the bottom.

**Optional: Sprinkle fresh Lavender on top layer to decorate!

Lavender Shortbread

• 3 Tbsp. fresh organic Lavender flowers
  OR 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried organic Lavender flowers
• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup (scant) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. Lavender "Tea"*
  (extra Lavender or substitute: see footnote)

Set oven at 325° F.

Use food processor to blend chilled butter (not room temperature) plus Lavender flowers, icing sugar & cornstarch. Add half the flour amount and Lavender tea*. Pulse gently until roughly cut into a “crumbly” texture. Blend in remainder of flour until it “balls” into a smooth dough. Roll in a wax paper log like frozen cookie dough. CHILL 30 MINUTES.

Cut into 1/2 inch rings, bake on ungreased cookie sheet until just golden on the bottom. Aprox 20 minutes. Cool before handling. Makes aprox 30. Store in tight tin.

* Lavender Tea
Use 4 teaspoons of fresh Lavender or 1 Tbsp. dried. Place in a mug & pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over the Lavender. Use a saucer as a lid & steep 5 minutes. Stain & measure tea as a flavour booster, drink remainder as you wait for cookies!
Can substitute 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice or 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

PS Dough can be frozen. (This way you can make the dough rolls in fresh season & bake for Christmas!) Please ~ thaw before slicing so dough does not crack.