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Advice on using lavender in baking.

JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Paris FrancePosts: 661
in The potting shed
not sure if there are any bakers amongst you? I have come across a recipe for lavender shortbread anyone ever tried it? Not sure if my dried garden lavender is suitable to use.
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  • purplerallimpurplerallim LincolnshirePosts: 3,900
    Cooked lavender tastes like soap.🤢
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Paris FrancePosts: 661
    Yikes. Then perhaps I’ll stick with normal shortbread !
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Billericay, EssexPosts: 7,267
    Assuming your lavender hasn't been sprayed it'll be fine.
    Much as I like lavender  - not sure about combining it with shortbread.
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 25,806
    I have tasted lavender biscuits and they were indeed like soap.   
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,532
    But then, some people enjoy drinking Earl Grey tea, which to me is like drinking eau de cologne.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 6,081
    Jac, are there any bakers amongst us!!! I am shocked, we are bakers,butchers, candle-stick makers (well, I do make candles) lavender is nice in fruit cakes, sprinkled on top small amounts with pansies for decoration, dont add them to shortbread, add ginger, dry or grated, I dont like Earl Grey either, tea has to look an taste like, well tea!  I ve never eaten soap.
  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Paris FrancePosts: 661
    LOL Nanny beach have to admit I’ve not eaten soap either but it sounds horrible. I like the sound of ginger in shortbread, definitely going to try that.
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 25,806
    Spent a recent Sunday visiting a smallholding devoted to growing edible flowers.  She gave us lavender biscuits and mixed flower madeleines to try.   Lavender not good - soapy feeling.  Mixed flowers very nice.   Love ginger and did once try stem ginger shortbread but even then I still don't like shortbread.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • raisingirlraisingirl East Devon, on the Edge of Exmoor.Posts: 4,520
    I like caraway seed in shortbread.

    If you are going to use lavender in cooking, make sure it's a culinary variety - generally one of the angustifolia types. 'Munstead' is one of the best. I do quite like it but usually indirectly, so I add the lavender to sugar to give a fragrance (to icing, for example) rather than actually putting the lavender directly in the food. Same sort of principle as a bay leaf in a stew.
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  • JacquimcmahonJacquimcmahon Paris FrancePosts: 661
    Well I made normal stuff and nothing but crumbs left so I’ll keep fancy flavors away from the « classics » I think. Bbc food may make recommendations to « liven up » the old recipes but it seems my family are content with it being boring after all!
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