Lavender Sugar, Butter and Salad Dressing - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While folks more sensible than Bob and I were enjoying their air conditioned homes or breezy decks, we were traipsing through fields of lavender doing our part to make the Oregon Lavender Festival a success. Our intent was to tour several operations and find a good local source for culinary lavender. I was easy to spot. Fair skin demands full sun protection on these hot sunny days. I was the gal who looked liked a bee keeper. High temperatures and blazing sun aside, we had a glorious day, met some kindred spirits and even picked up a few recipes that I can share with you today. The recipes are very easy to make and use less lavender than many of the recipes floating in cyberspace. Lavender has a distinctive taste that borders on bitter if too much of it is used. If you like its flavor, you might want to increase the amounts I have suggested in each of the recipes below. The first recipe is for lavender sugar. I've also included recipes for lavender butter and a salad dressing. I use dried flower buds in all these dishes because of the seasonal nature of fresh lavender. If you'd like to dry your own lavender, instructions can be found here. English lavender is the best to use for culinary purposes. Here are the recipes.

Lavender Sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely ground dried lavender buds

Combine lavender and sugar. Store in an airtight container for at least 3 days. Strain before using. Yield: 1 cup.

Lavender Butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1-1/2 teaspoons dried lavender buds, whole or lightly ground

Combine butter, honey and lavender in a small bowl. Mix well. Shape as desired. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with sweet bread. Yield: 1/2 cup.

Lavender Salad Dressing
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1-1/2 tablespoons dried lavender buds, ground
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, honey, lavender, salt and pepper in the jar of an electric blender. Pulse to combine. Transfer to a serving container. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Yield: 1 cup.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Peach-Lavender Cobbler - Delish
Apricot Clafouti with Lavender and Pecans - Cooking with Corey
Lavender White Chocolate Cookies - Life Lightly Salted
Brandy Tuiles with Lavender Cream - My Easy Kitchen
Bouquet Cupcakes: Lilac and Lavender - The Conscious Kitchen
Raspberry Lavender Lemonade - Kahakai Kitchen

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

French Breakfast Puffs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We have a code known only to the folks who call this house home. When Bob comes into the kitchen for his first cup of coffee and the kitchen is in glorious disarray, he knows exactly what's going on. "You gotta a thing this morning?" I nod affirmatively. "Whatcha making?" I smile broadly and parry, "Stuff." I had a lot of "stuff" to make for my "thing" this morning and, with a still limited range of motion, it also had to be easy to do. I remembered these delightful muffins and decided to resurrect the recipe which is almost as old as I am. French Breakfast Puffs were developed in the test kitchens of Betty Crocker many, many years ago.They are still popular today. They lack the cache of croissants or the wide appeal of bagels, but they have withstood the test of time. These morsels taste a bit like cake donuts, though they are less dense. I can't say they are lighter because each muffin is dunked in melted butter before it's coated with cinnamon sugar. While the muffins are quite pleasant on their own, the bath in butter and sugar is what made their reputation. Think snickerdoodles and you'll understand why folks love them. Years ago, all surfaces of the muffins were coated. I no longer do that, but it is important to let the muffin tops sit in butter for a minute or two before they are rolled in sugar. These do not keep well and they are best served warm. Here's the recipe for a very easy old-fashioned treat that just won't go away.

French Breakfast Puffs ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shortening or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 medium muffin cups.
2) Mix shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and the egg thoroughly in medium bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk. Divide batter evenly among 9 muffin cups.
3) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Immediately roll hot muffins in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot. Yield: 9 muffins.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Raspberry Streusel Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry and Lemon Cake-Style Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Blue Corn Muffins - One Perfect Bite

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday