Lavender Brownies

After visiting the Cache Creek Lavender Farm and getting my bottle of Culinary Lavender I figured it would be a while before I tracked down a recipe to cook. Imagine my surprise when the San Jose Mercury News had an entire article about cooking with lavender in the next weeks food section! Along with information on how to grow and dry lavender, they also included several recipes. Lavender-Smoked Salmon Fillets, Little Lavender Baskets (think egg noddles and chutney wrapped in lettuce) and, the one that caught my eye, Lavender Brownies.

These were okay, but I'll be honest. These brownies were not a hit. Quite a few folks just didn't like the slight lavender flavor. If you don't like the smell of lavender, you won't like these. And even some folks that like lavender in general, couldn't wrap their taste buds around lavender in food (one taster commented that it reminded her too much of her lavender bath soap at home). I liked them, good chocolate flavor with just a hint of lavender (you can add more of the culinary lavender to the batter, but I'd stick to just a bit). But I couldn't eat more than one at a time (Really? Only one brownie at a time? Maybe this is my new diet tool!!). I think these would make a great addition to a nice little tea party cut up in little squares on a plate surrounded by some dried lavender.

The article states that for a more intense lavender flavor you can add another teaspoon of the buds to the sugar mixture. The Mercury News adapted this recipe from one from "Bittersweet" by Alice Medrich.

LAVENDER BROWNIES

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lavender buds
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325. Put sugar and lavender buds in a food processor and pulse together.

Set a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add butter, lavender sugar, cocoa and salt, stirring occasionally until the butter melts and the mixture becomes fairly smooth and hot. Remove from heat and let cool until the mixture is warm.

With a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, then add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. The mixture will be smooth and shiny. Add the flour and stir until well incorporated, then stir the mixture vigorously 40 more strokes. Pour into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil, making sure two ends overhang the edges of the pan.

Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a bit of batter on it. Let pan cool completely on a wire rack, then use the ends of the foil or parchment paper to lift the brownies out.

Makes 16 brownies.

Note: I used the Culinary Lavender I bought from Cache Creek Lavender Farm. You can find pre-made lavender infused sugar at some specialty markets or online at Amazon.com.

Comments

[MOM]

This was so good. I did not taste the lavender.

[Associate Girl]

I want to love lavender in foods, and I think of myself as an adventurous foodie - but I just can't get into it. I like the idea of lavender infused sugar. I will give that a try.

Our local gelato joint is always pushing their lavender flavor, but its got the crunchy lavender buds in it. It's just a bit strange.

[Val]

I once tried lavender flavoured chocolate and loved it. I guess its like Marmite, you either love it or hate it ;-)

[Livin Local]

On one hand I thought that the lavender may get lost in the chocolate flavor, then I realized that there are mighty few herbaceous additions to brownies that are universally accepted.

[Arch]

Culinary lavender. Is that what you crazy kids are calling the brownie buds addition these days? ;)

[Cassaendra]

Yay! I've been waiting for this!

I love lavender in baked goods. There is a shop near my place that sells rosemary lavender cookies. She uses a lot of lavender so you definitely taste it.

[Patricia]

Chocolate and lavender are perfect together. Want to try this recipe and share it with my readers as I have a blog on all things lavender. More and more ppl are being adventurous and rediscovering the lovely lavender and its many uses.....especially in cooking.
I love finding others who are trying out these different recipes. Had some delicious lavender macarons on Saturday....baked by a French chef so they were superb. Don't know if I could manage baking them the way he did, but brownies, definitely.
Thanks for sharing.
Patricia Perth Australia
www.lavenderuses.com
all things lavender