Recipe ideas (cont.)

Easy Lavender Sugar.

Perhaps the easiest way of using Lavender in the kitchen is to make Lavender sugar. I add a large tablespoon of dried lavender to a 1lb jam jar of sugar, mix well and then leave for a minimum of 8 weeks, and simply sieve into replace existing sugar in a recipe.

Once you have this in your cupboard, you can experiment by adding this flavored sugar to baking. Other methods of introducing the flavor are to steep lavender flowers in warm milk or cream. I also make sugar syrups, which I add a little to a glass of champagne for a lavender fizz! You can use these infused liquids and sugar to flavor whipping cream, homemade ice cream, jams, iced tea, Biscuits, Muffins, scones, custards. Lavender goes superbly with lemon… You can add even more zest to recipes with lemon by adding the mystery of lavender...everything from lemonade, Lavender, lemon & Salmon to lemon chicken. And lemon cake!

As a final note I love honey as a companion to lavender. Try warming some honey gently with lavender and strain to infuse an intriguing flavor into the honey delicious poured over grilled goat's cheese.