How to use lavender (and other herbs) in cooking?!
I want to make a lavender cake by adding the lavender from our garden to a basic sponge cake recipe I have, but I am not sure how you prepare it!. Some recipes say to use essential oil of lavender, which I have, but is it safe!?!?
Can you just pluck the lavender out and chop it up and place it in the cake mix, or do you have to dry it out first!?
And can this apply to other herbs, such as rosemary!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Can you just pluck the lavender out and chop it up and place it in the cake mix, or do you have to dry it out first!?
And can this apply to other herbs, such as rosemary!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
To use garden herbs in baking recipes or savory dishes, you can just chop up the herb and add it!.
However if you want to get a lot of flavor out of it, make an infused butter!. by heating the amount of butter called for in your recipe and heating on a very low, then adding the chopped herb of your choice to it!. Continue to heat at an extremely low temperature for a few minutes the turn off the heat and let it steep like you would tea!. You may want to cool your butter to make it a solid again before you add it to your recipe!. This will infuse the butter, and add extra flavor!.
This technique can also be used to flavor oils for savory dishes!.
The are butters called compound butters that you can make with any herb or mixture of herbs and spices!.
With the compound butters you do not heat the butter, you let it come to room temperature!.
It is common practice with compound butters to quickly blanch the herb you are using (to kill off any bacteria), then to chop it and throw it in!.
The butter is then whipped and seasoned and formed into long sausages with plastic wrap, and can be kept in the fridge for use in recipes or on bread, and in the freezer almost indefinitely!.
The difference with the infused butter, and the compound butter is that the herb is heated in the infused butter which kills off bacteria, the compound butter the herbs are blanched(to kill the bacteria) before whipping them into the cold butter
With the oils if you don't want to steep your herb in hot/warm oil, you can blanch and dry your herbs, and add them to cold oil!.(this process takes longer because the herb takes more time to infuse naturally into the oil!.)
I would recommend the method of warming the butter or the oil, and adding your herb, because you won't lose any flavor/natural oils from blanching, and the infusion will have much stronger flavor!.
When cooking I usually just chop up my herbs and throw them in a pan with whatever i am cooking!. Trial and error is the best way to figure out when to add your herbs but if you have a hard herb such as rosemary, you can add it at the beginning of the cooking process, softer herbs towards the end so they retain their fresh flavor!. also don't be afraid to throw any herb into a marinade, or salad dressing, or sauce!.
Good Luck have fun experimentingWww@FoodAQ@Com
However if you want to get a lot of flavor out of it, make an infused butter!. by heating the amount of butter called for in your recipe and heating on a very low, then adding the chopped herb of your choice to it!. Continue to heat at an extremely low temperature for a few minutes the turn off the heat and let it steep like you would tea!. You may want to cool your butter to make it a solid again before you add it to your recipe!. This will infuse the butter, and add extra flavor!.
This technique can also be used to flavor oils for savory dishes!.
The are butters called compound butters that you can make with any herb or mixture of herbs and spices!.
With the compound butters you do not heat the butter, you let it come to room temperature!.
It is common practice with compound butters to quickly blanch the herb you are using (to kill off any bacteria), then to chop it and throw it in!.
The butter is then whipped and seasoned and formed into long sausages with plastic wrap, and can be kept in the fridge for use in recipes or on bread, and in the freezer almost indefinitely!.
The difference with the infused butter, and the compound butter is that the herb is heated in the infused butter which kills off bacteria, the compound butter the herbs are blanched(to kill the bacteria) before whipping them into the cold butter
With the oils if you don't want to steep your herb in hot/warm oil, you can blanch and dry your herbs, and add them to cold oil!.(this process takes longer because the herb takes more time to infuse naturally into the oil!.)
I would recommend the method of warming the butter or the oil, and adding your herb, because you won't lose any flavor/natural oils from blanching, and the infusion will have much stronger flavor!.
When cooking I usually just chop up my herbs and throw them in a pan with whatever i am cooking!. Trial and error is the best way to figure out when to add your herbs but if you have a hard herb such as rosemary, you can add it at the beginning of the cooking process, softer herbs towards the end so they retain their fresh flavor!. also don't be afraid to throw any herb into a marinade, or salad dressing, or sauce!.
Good Luck have fun experimentingWww@FoodAQ@Com
If you use lavender from your garden, be sure it is pesticide free!. You can also buy dried cooking quality lavender on line!. Here's some additional info:
http://whatscookingamerica!.net/Lavender!.!.!.!.
http://www!.southwestblend!.com/lavender/r!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
http://whatscookingamerica!.net/Lavender!.!.!.!.
http://www!.southwestblend!.com/lavender/r!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Lavender Bundt Cake Serves 12 to 14
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon rose water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons chopped fresh lavender flowers
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 2/3 cups Granulated Lavender Sugar
Lavender Confectioner's Sugar
Crystallized Lavender Flowers
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F!. Butter a 10-inch bundt pan and dust with flour; set aside!.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy!. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups of the flour, beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy!. Stir in the rose water, vanilla, lavender, and orange zest!.
In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form!. Continuing to beat, add the Granulated Lavender Sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time!. Beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 3 minutes!.
Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the butter mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites!. Sift the remaining 1 1/3 cups flour over the batter, a little at a time, and gently fold in to incorporate!. Don't overmix!.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake pulls away from the pan sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and golden brown, about 50 minutes!.
Remove the cake to a rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes!. Turn out onto the rack, invert, and let cool completely!. Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand 24 hours before slicing!.
Before serving, sift Lavender Confectioner's Sugar over the cake, garnish with candied lavender flowers!. Lavender Granulated Sugar
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 to 6 flower heads of English lavender, minced
Pound and combine the sugar and minced flowers in a mortar with a pestle, or process in a food processor!. Place in a well-sealed jar for at least one week before using!. The sugar keeps for about three months!.
Lavender Confectioner's Sugar
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 to 3 flower heads of English lavender, minced
Mix the confectioner's sugar with the minced lavender and let stand for 1 hour!. The lavender sugar keeps for only two weeks before the moisture in the lavender causes lumping, which makes the sugar difficult to sieve!.
Lavender Crystallized Flowers
Makes 2 dozen
One of the easiest transformations for lavender is the crystallizing of its flowers to be used as cake and pastry decorations or nibbled like candy!. Because of the fragrant oils contained in lavender flowers, each separate candied calyx with its corolla becomes, in effect, a tiny lavender-flavored breath freshener!. Leave the heads on the stems to make drying easier!.
2 dozen fresh lavender flower heads
1 egg white
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar or superfine sugar
Pick the flowering heads when they are about 50 percent open, leaving stems 4 to 6 inches long!. Let any surface moisture evaporate from the heads if they aren't already dry!.
Whisk the egg white lightly in a small bowl!. Using a small watercolor brush, apply a thin coating of egg white to all surfaces of each flower head, making sure to rub it between and around the individual calyxes!.
Push a drinking straw into the confectioner's or superfine sugar and use it to blow the sugar over each egg-white-coated flower head as you rotate the stem between your index finger and thumb!. Alternatively, gently tap a spoonful of sugar above the flower head to achieve the same effect!. Repeat once or twice to coat all flower surfaces evenly, but don't apply so much sugar that the color of the blossom begins to fade!.
Set each flower stem upright in a piece of plastic foam to allow the egg whites to dry thoroughly!. This sugaring process will preserve the blossoms for years!. Store the crystallized flower heads in a ridded jar!.
Enjoy!!Www@FoodAQ@Com
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon rose water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons chopped fresh lavender flowers
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 2/3 cups Granulated Lavender Sugar
Lavender Confectioner's Sugar
Crystallized Lavender Flowers
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F!. Butter a 10-inch bundt pan and dust with flour; set aside!.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy!. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups of the flour, beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy!. Stir in the rose water, vanilla, lavender, and orange zest!.
In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form!. Continuing to beat, add the Granulated Lavender Sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time!. Beat until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 3 minutes!.
Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the butter mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites!. Sift the remaining 1 1/3 cups flour over the batter, a little at a time, and gently fold in to incorporate!. Don't overmix!.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake pulls away from the pan sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and golden brown, about 50 minutes!.
Remove the cake to a rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes!. Turn out onto the rack, invert, and let cool completely!. Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand 24 hours before slicing!.
Before serving, sift Lavender Confectioner's Sugar over the cake, garnish with candied lavender flowers!. Lavender Granulated Sugar
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 to 6 flower heads of English lavender, minced
Pound and combine the sugar and minced flowers in a mortar with a pestle, or process in a food processor!. Place in a well-sealed jar for at least one week before using!. The sugar keeps for about three months!.
Lavender Confectioner's Sugar
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar
2 to 3 flower heads of English lavender, minced
Mix the confectioner's sugar with the minced lavender and let stand for 1 hour!. The lavender sugar keeps for only two weeks before the moisture in the lavender causes lumping, which makes the sugar difficult to sieve!.
Lavender Crystallized Flowers
Makes 2 dozen
One of the easiest transformations for lavender is the crystallizing of its flowers to be used as cake and pastry decorations or nibbled like candy!. Because of the fragrant oils contained in lavender flowers, each separate candied calyx with its corolla becomes, in effect, a tiny lavender-flavored breath freshener!. Leave the heads on the stems to make drying easier!.
2 dozen fresh lavender flower heads
1 egg white
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar or superfine sugar
Pick the flowering heads when they are about 50 percent open, leaving stems 4 to 6 inches long!. Let any surface moisture evaporate from the heads if they aren't already dry!.
Whisk the egg white lightly in a small bowl!. Using a small watercolor brush, apply a thin coating of egg white to all surfaces of each flower head, making sure to rub it between and around the individual calyxes!.
Push a drinking straw into the confectioner's or superfine sugar and use it to blow the sugar over each egg-white-coated flower head as you rotate the stem between your index finger and thumb!. Alternatively, gently tap a spoonful of sugar above the flower head to achieve the same effect!. Repeat once or twice to coat all flower surfaces evenly, but don't apply so much sugar that the color of the blossom begins to fade!.
Set each flower stem upright in a piece of plastic foam to allow the egg whites to dry thoroughly!. This sugaring process will preserve the blossoms for years!. Store the crystallized flower heads in a ridded jar!.
Enjoy!!Www@FoodAQ@Com