Lemon Lavender Loaf

This quick little loaf cake features floral notes of lavender paired with the fresh taste of lemon.

This 🠋 is not how you want your loaf to turn out! Not every recipe turns out the way you want. So sometimes you've got to let it go and try another one. 

Here's the recipe for one that will turn out right!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk

2-3 tsps dried lavender buds

1/3 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

1/4 cup plain or honey Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

purple colouring (optional)

Glaze:

2/3 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

more lavender buds and lemon zest to top

Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 9 X 5" loaf pan.

In a small saucepan warm milk and lavender to a simmer then remove from heat. If you want to use purple colouring, add it to the milk. 

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together then beat in the eggs and zest. Add the yogurt and vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl. In two or three additions, add some flour mix to the butter mix, then add some milk continuing until just combined. Don't over mix.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 325°F for 55-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool completely on rack.

Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle or spread over the loaf, adding lavender buds and zest right away before glaze sets.

So pretty💜

And here's some info on growing and collecting lavender:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2021/07/lavender.html

Loaf adapted from: reluctantentertainer.com

Lavender - Growing and Using It

Growing lavender ... the bees love it and we all know that we need to save the bees! They go about their business getting nectar and collecting pollen and are happy not to bother you so don't bother them.

But we can share the lavender with the bees. It has many uses. Like in sachets (does everyone's Grandma smell like lavender?), crafting, cooking and baking. I've shared a couple of ideas here, but for more just look on Pinterest or google lavender and there are tons of  things to do with lavender!💜

Cut flowers in the morning for the freshest blooms and leave a 4-6" stem. Tie in small bunches.

And hang them upside-down in a semi-dark room. This storage room in the basement has only one small window so it worked fine. Leave space between the bundles for good air flow.

Or you could tie bundles together then tie them to a wreath, overlapping to cover the strings.

Work them all the way around or you may choose to leave some of the wreath exposed like I did.

Once the bundles are tied to your liking set the wreath lying flat in a darkened room to dry before attaching a ribbon to hang.

Now back to those bundles that were hanging upside-down to dry. Remove the leaves and flowers in separate piles and store them in jars with tight fitting lids to keep the oils and scent from escaping. I like these tins from David's tea because of the see-through top.

There are many uses for both lavender leaves and flowers. As lavender is an herb and a close relative of rosemary it's leaves can be used wherever you might use rosemary. 

The flowers, also edible, can be used (sparingly) in salad for instance. Start off slowly ...don't want to make your food too "perfumy"!

Blueberry Jam infused with Lavender is another way to use the flowers, adding a very subtle taste to the jam.

Here's the link to the one I made:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2021/07/blueberry-jam-with-lavender-infusion.html

Or try lavender in baking like these shortbread cookies:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2019/06/honey-and-lavender-shortbread-cookies.html

It's a pretty hardy plant that doesn't need alot of fussing. Cutting the blooms and giving your lavender a "hair cut" will promote more blooms... so more lavender to use in whatever you like! Just leave some for the bees! 

Blueberry Jam with Lavender Infusion

This small batch of blueberry jam is infused with a soothing hint of lavender, lightly complimenting the berries. 

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh blueberries (3 1/2 cups mashed)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

2 tbsps Certo pectin crystals

1 tbsp dried lavender flowers

1 coffee filter and string

Lightly mash the blueberries in a large pot using a potato masher. Put the lavender flowers (give them a little crush first) in the coffee filter and tie up to form a bundle. Use 2 tablespoons of lavender if you want a more pronounced essence. Add the lemon juice and lavender bundle to the berries in the pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer on medium heat, stirring regularly, for 10 minutes. Remove lavender. Stir the sugar and pectin together and add to the pot. Return to a boil for 2 full minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir for 3 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars. My sterilizing method of choice is to pour boiling water into the jars (with a piece of cutlery standing in them to avoid cracking the jars) then submerging the lids in boiling water just before using them.

Using a large funnel for filling really does help keep the mess to a minimum!

This recipe makes about 2 cups of jam. It can be refrigerated or, if you want to keep it on the shelf before opening, process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Always remember to refrigerate after opening though.