Lavender Salt

Lavender has a mild taste, but it works really well with vegetables like spinach, in wilted spinach salad, and asparagus. It's also a tasty addition to trout. If you'd like an easy recipe for making your own lavender salt, I included one in my herb blog, The Herb Gardener a couple of weeks ago.

I even have a great rub you can use with your newly made lavender salt. It's a flavorful addition to rabbit, lamb, and scallops. It uses green tea as a base, and although that sounds unusual, it's delicious:

Lavender Tea Rub Recipe

2 tablespoons of green tea (ground fine)

½ teaspoon lavender salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon dried lavender flowers (ground fine) optional

If you'd really like to amp up the lavender flavor, add a half teaspoon of lavender flowers to the tea mixture before you grind it.

Lavender Salt Recipe

Lavender Sugar Cookies

Want to make sugar cookies with an interesting and delicious twist? Make them with lavender sugar.

Lavender infused sugar gives sugar cookies a little something extra. When you pair natural lavender flavoring with lavender coloration, they're a sure winner for special occasions like holidays. Include lavender sugar cookies in a lavender themed basket, complete with a lavender candle, lavender bath salts, and a lavender sleep pillows.

Lavender is a relaxing scent that's as attractive to men as it is to women. Make lavender your signature scent, and show off your new appreciation for everything lavender with a basket of lavender sugar cookies.

Lavender Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups lavender sugar (For instructions follow the link below)
1 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lavender Cookie Directions

Sift all dry ingredients except ¼ cup lavender sugar. Incorporate butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in beaten egg and vanilla. On a floured surface, roll dough onto a floured surface to 1/8 inch. Cut into shapes and sprinkle with reserved sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 6 - 8 minutes, in a preheated 400°F oven.

Lavender Sugar Directions

Lavender Apple Cake Recipe

I love this on cool evenings. It's doubly good with lavender ice cream.

Lavender Apple Cake Recipe

2 eggs
2 cups pealed and thinly sliced apples
11/4 cups lavender sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with a whisk or blender until light and foamy. Add sugar to the eggs while stirring constantly. Add flour mixture a little at a time until completely blended. Add nuts and fold in apples.
Grease a baking pan and add mixture carefully. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Lemon Lavender Glaze

½ stick of butter
1 cup sifted lavender confectioners' sugar (prepared as for lavender granulated sugar)
1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Add sugar to softened butter and beat well. Add lemon juice and blend well. Spread on warm cake.

I will typically color a little granulated sugar lavender and sprinkle it on top of the glaze.

Special Note: The longer you let the lavender sugar mixture sit, the more flavorful it will be.