How to Prune Lavender and Lavender Recipes

Can't wait to harvest Lavender from my gardens.

  With all the flowers blooming early this year I should

 be able to cut them 2-3 times.

I will  put them in bundles and wrap the stem ends with a rubberband

and hang them upside down to dry.  I have hammered nails into the backside

of the cornice above my kitchen sink as they are soooooo pretty and fragrant as they dry.....I want them within sight and smell to me!

 I will use the cuttings for Lavender shortbread, put them in vases for Lavender bouquets, and for different uses in all types of creations.

  I found this video on You Tube showing how to prune Lavender. 

 I do this type of pruning in early Spring to shape my plants and prune them in a mound shape rather than straight across as this video shows. 

This pruning keeps the Lavender in a very attractive shape.

Previously I posted some wonderful
Lavender recipes.  (<-<-<-<-<-<-Click to view)

 Have you ever tried Lavender for culinary purposes? 

 It is a must try and I LOVE it! 

 The Lavender shortbread is a favorite of mine.
 I'll be baking some Lavender cookies with my first harvest.
 What will you do with yours?

Sunday Bouquet & Lavender Recipes

This week's Sunday bouquet is a mini windowsill bouquet in my favorite little bottle found at a garage sale a block from my house. Don't you just love the crown on it?!?!?!? The bottle says 'Frank Miller's Crown Dressing, New York, U.S.A. Love it!.........And also the lavender cut from my garden.

Here are some yummy recipes using Lavender from the garden. Sweet Katy Lin asked for some lavender recipes so here are just a few to get you started.

ENJOY!!!

Chocolate-Lavender Ice Cream

Yields: about 1 quart
1 1/2 cups milk
8 heads fresh lavender blossoms
1 cup heavy cream
5 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1. In a saucepan set over moderate heat, combine the milk with the lavender blossoms and bring just to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let cool.
2. Strain the milk through a fine sieve into another saucepan, pressing hard on the lavender to extract all flavor, and stir in the cream. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until combined well. Add one third of the hot cream mixture to the yolks, whisking, then whisk the egg mixture into the remaining hot cream. Stir the chocolate and cocoa into the hot cream mixture until chocolate melts and cocoa dissolves. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool. Cover with plastic and chill until cold.

5. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

I have a counter-top ice cream maker that I love to use for homemade ice cream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lavender Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lavender buds
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the flour and mix on low speed just until the dough is coming together. Sprinkle in the lavender buds and fold in gently. (don't over mix).
Divide the dough into two mounds and wrap up well in plastic. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour at least.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour your work surface and unwrap the dough. Take half of it out and wrap up the other half to keep chilled in the fridge while you work. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin, taking care not to overwork or overstretch the tender dough.
Cut out shapes of hearts, full moons, stars and crescents or simply cut into squares.

Carefully move the cookie shapes to nonstick cookie sheets, placing them 1/2 inch apart, fitting as many as possible on each sheet.
Bake, two sheets at a time, until the cookies are golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Use a thin spatula to move the hot cookies to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container when cool.
Makes about 3 dozen.

Serving idea: Serve in the afternoon with cold, fresh lemonade or iced tea with mint springs.

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Lavender Walnut Scones
2 cups flour
1 TB Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
2 TB. Culinary Lavender
2 TB. margarine
1 cup Nonfat buttermilk or soy milk
1 TB. vanilla
Vegetable cooking spray
3 TB. chopped walnuts
2 TB. sugar

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl: cut in margarine with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk or soy milk and vanilla, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.Drop dough by 2 heaping tablespoons, 2 inches apart onto baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts and remaining sugar. Bake 400 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden.Yield 1 Dozen

Yummy with a cup of mint tea

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Lavender cooking tips:
Lavender blends well with lemon, almond, blueberries, apple, peaches, nectarine, and chocolate.
Experiment and use a light touch so it doesn’t taste like potpourri or soap.

Recipes/Gifts made with Lavender

Lavender Powdered Sugar - Simply put 1/4 cup of organic lavender in a pint 'Gladware'(or similar container) and fill with Confectioners sugar. Shake. Tie a small strainer with ribbon around the box. Tell them to sift the powdered sugar over pancakes etc. or use in recipes calling for powdered sugar like glaze or cookies. A subtle lavender taste.

Variation: Snip half a vanilla bean and add to the powdered sugar and lavender.

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Lavender Butter- Add a TB. lavender buds to a stick of softened margarine or butter. Let sit in the frig. Serve with crackers. Or on a small round of toast topped with smoked turkey.

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Vanilla or Chocolate cream pie with lavender: Infuse 1/4 cup of lavender in 2 cups of milk overnight in frig. Use to make choc. or vanilla instant or cooked pudding following pie instructions. Combine pudding with Dreamwhip and make a delicious pie. Use ready made crumb crust.

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Lavender Blueberry Syrup: Infuse 1 TB. lavender in 1 -2 cups blueberry syrup in microwave. Strain and use on pancakes, French toast or waffles.