Vegan Violet, Lavender and Chocolate Cake

I don't do road trips, not that I don't want to but I get travel sickness.  

The closest to a road trip would be journeys to and fro Scotland to Wales; or to the other side of London, England when visiting family.  A journey that sometimes took over 8 hours depending on traffic  We always take with us bottled water, nibbles like crisps or a trail mix, but also a flask of black coffee, vegetable wraps or pasta salad and for sweet, because there is always room for something sweet: flapjacks.   

But for the prompt today I thought I would share a cake, you may find it hard to say no to this cake, its Violet and Chocolate Cake in the shape of a heart.  

And remember cakes are made for sharing.  Enjoy. 

Lavender Almond Cake

You’d be forgiven for thinking I have a generous stash of edible dried lavender flowers, truth is I don’t, just a jar of homegrown lavender which seems infinite its its supply.  From the jar I have been able to make Lavender Scones, Lavender Brownies, Lavender Lemonade, Lavender Bread, Lavender Pancakes and Waffles.

I've never quite understood some peoples need to compare the scent of lavender to their 'grandmother's handkerchief ', and sadly its often done in a mocking childlike manner.  But I guess for them the smell of lavender evokes a particular childhood memory, something that I can only try to imagine.  My first encounter and experience with Lavender was at primary school, making a heart sachet for my 'Mothers day' card, and I instantly adored the fragrance. 

With it being Mothers Day in the U.K this Sunday (3rd April) I think its only fair that I dedicate this post to mothers all over the world, and not just biological mothers, I want to praise adoptive mothers, foster mothers, mother-in-laws, grand-mothers, great grand-mothers, step-mothers, mothers-to-be and selfishly perhaps, women like me.  I don't know if I will ever be blessed with motherhood, but I do know that I have been appreciated as a maternal figure which in itself is an honour.  Happy Mothers Day.

Lavender Brownie butterfly

These may be the most beautiful brownies I have ever eaten in my life. I think this Lavender Butterfly is so pretty I could have pierced a hole in the top and hung it from a Christmas tree as an edible ornament. Then I could gaze upon it admiringly (and greedily), as it teased me with its chocolaty glitter and flutters of lavender scent.

I could feel the soporific effect of these lavender brownies (or maybe I was just really tired from a hard and grim working week, and Thankful once again for the weekend). These lavender brownies were pretty good. I had one just before my ‘beddy bye bye times’ last night helping me ease into sleepy lala land. It was a nice change from a mug of hot chocolate, or even a glass of red wine.
These fudgy brownies were made from fair trade dark chocolate, homegrown lavender and a little bit of shimmer and glitz in the form of edible glitter. The edible glitter is suitable for vegetarians. I’m not too sure how they last though. I’ve had this since I got married in October 2008. A word of warning, if you have fillings in your teeth they will react a little – a little sensitivity like ice-cream, but I think it’s a small price to pay for a little bit of extravaganza.

This recipe is based on the Orange Brownies. I used ½ teaspoon of lavender for this particular recipe. If you make a different brownie recipe resulting in a larger quantity, then adjust the lavender to 1 teaspoon. I want to forewarn you in advance though, I always do whenever I post a lavender recipes on my blog - Please be careful with the amount of lavender you use: too much and it could taste medicinal or worse, too strong that it will be unpleasant to consume and that will be a great shame.

Lavender Brownies
Makes 1 x 7 inch by 9 inch tin
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
80g of dark chocolate

20g white chocolate buttons optional (or replace with more dark chocolate)
150g dark muscovado sugar
2 medium eggs.
75g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon lavender
Pinch of salt.
Method
Heat oven to Gas Mark 4.
Melt the chocolate, butter and sugar in a bain marie (or a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water). Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little, then beat in the eggs. Add in the white chocolate buttons if using.
Stir in the flour, lavender and salt. Pour into the tin and bake on middle shelf for 12 minutes. Allow to cool in tin before slicing up and serving.

Lavender Pancakes and snowflakes

This is the third weekend in a row when I've had lavender for brunch. First it was lavender bread, then Lavender waffles and now Lavender pancakes. Hey, that is what happens when a girl rediscovers her jar of home-grown lavender. I think I have shown over the past few weeks, that lavender can be a versatile ingredient in the kitchen, especially in sweet treats.

If you have yet to cook or bake with lavender, just keep one thing in mind, Lavender has a very strong flavour especially when dried so please use sparingly. Its a wonderful herb, almost magical - both for scent and flavour. Lavender not only stimulates the appetite, it raises the spirits and right now, I am appreciating lavender more as my work life situation is not the most happiest at the moment. The flecks of lavender flower buds also make dishes look very pretty. This I think can only make you smile!
This is what my tiny garden plot looks like from my flat window. I had plans yesterday to do a bit of gardening, tidying up and harvesting the last of my beetroot and chard, but I can't even see them for all the snow. The snow is falling quite heavy as I type.
The last of the red cooking apples still hanging on strong look like Christmas baubles. The birds are appreciating them. We had some Waxwings (I like to call them punk birds because of their hair-do) fly over, but they didn't stay long.

I am submitting these Lavender Pancakes to Anh of A Food Lover’s Journey for this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) Number 261. WHB as it is fondly known, is overseen by Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything and was an idea initiated by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. This is a wonderful food event for bloggers to showcase recipes or informative posts about cooking with herbs or unusual plant ingredients.

If you don't fancy making some Lavender pancakes, please check out my other Lavender recipes. I am sure you will find something to inspire you.

Lavender Pancakes
Makes 4 - 6
Ingredients
125g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 free range egg
250ml milk
1/2 teaspoon edible lavender
Sunflower oil for frying
Method
Pour the milk into a measuring jug and add the lavender to it for the flavours to infuse, about 10 -15 minutes should be good. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a crater in the middle of the flour and break in the egg. Pour in half of the lavender infused milk and start to mix the egg and milk with a balloon whisk, whisking in the flour from the edges a little at a time. Add the rest of the milk and keep on whisking until there are no more lumps of flour.
Put the frying pan on the hob and heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan, and swirl it around the pan. When the oil is hot, pour in a ladle or so to cover the pan, tilt the pan so the batter covers the base. As the pancakes sets, loosen the edges with a palette knife of a spatula. Flip the pancake over and cook for a few seconds on the other side. Serve immediately.

Lavender Scented Waffles

I often have American style waffles for breakfast, it gives us the excuse to use our flash Waffle maker.

As well enjoying the plain and vanilla scented waffles, in the past I've also made cranberry and pecan nut waffles and beetroot and chocolate waffles. However, after rediscovering my jar of lavender last weekend, I was inspired to make some Lavender Scented waffles.
This photograph was taken at my allotment plot last year. I just adored walking past it brushing my arms against the blooming lavender flower heads, so it would gently release its delicate aroma.
The lavender waffles were not heavily flavoured. The lavender comes through more as smell than taste, which D appreciated. So for the maccho menfolk reading this, please do give it a go. These waffles are not as flowery tasting as they sound, anyway, sometimes its nice to get in touch with your feminine side.

I did not want to serve slate-purple specked waffles with a dominant flavoured syrup, jelly or jam. So I opted for the Apple and cinnamon jelly. It complimented the lavender waffles wonderfully.
Regular readers may have noticed, that whenever I make American style recipes such as waffles, I tend to use American cups. I am not sure exactly why this is the case, but it gives me an excuse to use my American measurement cups too.

Lavender Scented waffles
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 generous or 2 teaspoons edible lavender
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
Method
In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. Add the lavender and stir well.

In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well. Cook according to your waffle maker instructions.

Scented Lavender Bread

‘Beautiful full heads of blue, mauve, indigo and yes even pink’. Lavender is indeed one of the most elegant and delectable flavours you can use in cooking. I’ve been looking for an excuse to open my jar of my home grown lavender and last week I found it when I stumbled across Vanessa Kimbell’s from Prepped.

Vanessa had an invitation for foodies to get involved and test recipes for the cookbook she is currently writing. I was more than happy to oblige my time and taste buds as a tester. So I wrote to her excited to be part of the development of her book and offered my humble services. I was even excited when it happened to be a recipe using lavender, and then a little nervous when it was a bread recipe. You see, I am not accustomed to giving my upper arms a work out, but it was so worth kneading and stretching. Homemade bread is the best, especially when it comes out looking like this.
The bread wasn't sweet at all, but delicately scented from the infused lavender. I will be making the bread again, so please come back in a weeks time when I’ll be able to share the recipe with you, it just needs a little bit of tweaking.
Updated 5 December 2010. I haven't heard back from Vanessa regarding re-testing the recipe. When I originally tested the recipe, she did say it was okay to post the recipe on my blog as other testers had, so for those of you who have been wanting to give it a go, here it is as it was given to me. I think I know where I may have gone a little wrong with my making of the Lavender Bread recipe, the salt I used was sea salt which dominated the flavour over the lavender.
Lavender Bread
2 tablespoons of culinary grade dried lavender
30 ml of hot milk
750g strong plain white flour
2 tsp salt
75g butter, cut into small pieces
7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
330 ml milk
100 ml hot water - but not boiling
Method
1. Pop the lavender in a cup and heat about 30ml of milk soak the Lavender in the milk for about 15 minutes. In the meantime tip the flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl and mix together with the butter turning it into fine breadcrumbs.
2. Pour the milk into a large measuring jug and stir in the hot water ad the lavender and milk solution. The liquid should be just about hand temperature, as this warmth will help the bread to rise.
3 Mix this until it forms a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Dust your surface with flour, then tip the dough onto it. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand or alternately use a dough hook on your mixer to do the same job. The dough should be stretch y and elastic. Put this into a lightly greased liter tin and over with a clean damp tea towel to rise for about 35 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas 7. Once the dough is risen Bake for 30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Leave in the tin to cool.
5 Tip it out onto a cooling rack and tap the base of the bread to check it is cooked. It should sound hollow.

Lavender Lemonade

Whilst I was busy house cleaning over the weekend, and peeking into my disorganised stored food cupboard I came across my lavender jar. I unscrewed the lid and sniffed high. Oh what a tranquil scent. Then I thought, mmm should do something with this.

I’ve made Lavender Sugar a couple of times. You just have to add a small amount of dried lavender to caster sugar and mix both ingredients in an airtight container, shake well regularly for the flavour and scent to infuse. Strain out the lavender (if you wish, I don’t) and use in sweet bakes, drink recipes and even sprinkled over porridge.
I decided on making some lavender lemonade. There are a number of recipes out there for lavender lemonade, but I decided to use a recipe from a book that I have yet to cook from. This is really a simple and delicious recipe. It uses agave nectar also known as agave syrup. I have seen agave syrup many times at health stores, but never had a reason to buy it, hence try it, until now. If you don’t want to purchase a bottle of agave syrup and I would understand as it is not particularly affordable costing about £2.50 for 250ml you can replace it with the same quantity of sugar syrup.

The lavender buds add a faint hint of purple hue to the lemonade too making it more enticing to the eyes, I think. The quantity made was quite generous for D and me, so I poured the remainder into flip-top bottles I used for my elderflower champagne. I am going to try and store a bottle, so that I can introduce the sweet yet distinct flavour of lavender to friends and family, that is of course if I don’t quench it all myself in the next few days.
Lavender Lemonade
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients
6 cups/2 pints of water
¼ cup/5g lavender buds
½ cup/100ml of agave syrup or sugar syrup
¾ cup/150ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 - 6 large lemons)
Method
In a small saucepan, combine the lavender with 2 cups/350ml of water. Bring to a boil, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it steep and cool down for 10 minutes. Strain the lavender water into a serving pitcher and discard the cooked lavender. Add the rest of the water, agave syrup, lemon juice and stir well. Refrigerate until cool. Serve in clear glasses to appreciate the faint natural purple hue. From Vegan Soul Kitchen.

Lavender Heart Scones

Well what did you expect, I had to follow my wedding anniversary day with something to do with Love, so it had to be hearts...

Its been a wet, wet day, just like my wedding day last year. So instead of going to the allotment, I decided to do some home-baking. I used the lavender that I had dried and put into a jar early on in the month.

When I opened the oven the gentle waft of the lavender was beautiful. These lavender scones do not rise like those you see in the bakeries. The flavour of the lavender is really subtle and comes through. I have already eaten a couple of these and am feeling the soporific effects, but a cup of black coffee should counteract that, as it's much too early to be going to sleep.

Lavender scones
Makes about 8 scones
Ingredients
160ml milk
1 tablespoon lavender flowers
250g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoon caster sugar
50g cold butter, chopped
Method
Gently warm the milk and lavender in a pan, bring to a simmer then turn off for flavours to infuse. Sift together flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Add the butter and using your fingertips, rub together until crumbly. Strain the milk. Keep back a teaspoon of the infused lavender. Add milk to the flour and combine well. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll out about 2cm thick. Then evenly spread out the infused lavender and using your rolling pin gently push it into the dough.
 
Cut out with your chosen biscuit cutter (I used heart shaped ones). Gently press together the remaining dough and cut out further scones. Put the scones onto a baking tray that has been lightly scattered with plain flour. Bake in oven for 20 minutes until golden. Adapted from Adam Caplin and Celia Brooks Brown New Kitchen Garden.UPDATED February 2012: Made by French fellow blogger The Ephemeral Everyday.