Lavender + Honey Cupcakes

Lavender is one of those really trendy things in the world of baking right now. Usually I stay away from trends, but when flowers and baking meet I can't stay away. I'm a floral girl - I love having flowers in the kitchen, in my bedroom, outside my window, given to me for no reason, and printed on my dresses. Naturally, when people started baking and cooking gorgeous things with flowers I was drawn in. I'm hoping this will be the first in many floral recipes I post, but my to-do list is long and summer is short. 

I made these cupcakes for a bridal shower and not only are they gorgeous, sloppy roses aside*, but they are delicious. Truthfully, they do taste mostly like butter since lavender is quite a subtle flavor - but butter has always been the perfect vehicle for subtle flavors, right? Here they are, Lavender + Honey Cupcakes.

*if you ever find your baking turns out a little bit messy and not quite "perfect" just call it RUSTIC! Works every time*

Lavender + Honey Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

makes 12

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon dried lavender (make sure it  was meant for culinary use, or grown by you!)

185g unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons honey (floral is great)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1) Preheat the oven to 350. Put the lavender and sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined and the lavender has been chopped up a bit.

2) Put the butter, lavender sugar, and honey in the bowl of a mixer and beat until creamy and light. (If at this point you're saying "AGH I forgot to put the butter out to soften! Don't worry, I forget all the time - just cut it into big cubes and zap it in the microwave for 5 seconds at a time. Really, only 5 at a time - and please make sure you stop before it's actually melting)

3) Slow the mixer and add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Add the flour and baking powder and gently fold/mix until well combined, but don't overmix. It should be a fairly stiff batter.

4) Scoop into muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 - 22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

For the frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 - 6 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

1) In a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and honey.

2) Slow the mixer and add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. You may have to add more sugar than the recipe calls for, but keep in mind that if you put the frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes it will firm up a bit.

3) Fill a piping bag, or simply spread the frosting on the cupcakes. To make roses better than the ones shown below, try this: http://www.createdby-diane.com/2010/08/video-how-to-frost-a-rose-on-a-cupcake-in-20-seconds.html

4) Sprinkle with a few buds of lavender, or drizzle with more honey, and enjoy!

The rose needs some work, but it's not bad!

*sigh* they're so pretty

I love it when a recipe turns out pretty AND tasty!

Spring Allergies

There are a lot of supposed allergy cures/relievers out there. I have tried many (though not all) of them, and this year I may have found one that works. I can't say for sure yet because we're not deep enough into allergy season, but I'm just saying - usually I am among the first to start sneezing and trying to scratch my eyes out... but this time there are many people ahead of me in that line. For now, I chalk that up to

Nettle Tea with Local Honey

I have tried to research this (not very hard, I'll admit) and no one seems to really have any 'scientific' answers about why this should work, but many people have confirmed that it does wonders! The claim is not that it will make your allergies go away, but that if you drink at least one cup of long-steeped nettle tea a day, starting a month or two before you expect your allergies to arrive, it will dramatically lessen your symptoms. I think for people with severe allergies 3 cups a day is recommended, but I just can't drink that much tea. You can also drink it while you're having an allergy attack and it should calm it down in 20-30 minutes.

Local Honey is also supposed to help because the bees are making honey out of the pollen that you may or may not be allergic to - exposing your body to the suspects in a different way is supposed to build up your immunity to it, or something like that. Again, haven't found much in the way of science to back that up.

The point is, I have been drinking nettle tea with a generous dollop of local honey (you really should have the honey - the tea is kind of unpleasant without it) since February, and so far the worst I've had is a couple sneezes a day and a very mildly irritated nose now and then. And I've been doing a lot of work outside pulling weeds!

Give it a try - it's certainly easier than getting allergy shots!

Nettle Tea can be found at most Health Food stores, and most towns have their own Honey centre.

Introducing, Madeleine

I have been wanting a Madeleine pan forEVER. I'll admit - ever since watching that Friends episode where Ross and Rachel hire a male nanny and he makes Madeleines. Ross makes fun of him for this but when Monica asks him how they were, he says "Lighter than air," and closes his eyes in that funny Ross-like way before declaring "That's not the point!" I finally decided there was no reason I needed to end yet another year without having made these beautiful little tea cakes, so I marched out and bought me a good-for-only-one-thing pan!
Yay Madeleines!

Aren't they cute? They're so buttery and spongey - it's a good thing they're small!
I used this Martha Stewart recipe and added lemon zest to the batter. They can be very easily adapted so don't be afraid to add other flavours to them! Just make sure you're patient and use decent technique when you're folding the batter - this is important!

Eat it Up - the Secret Garden Tea Co.

The Secret Garden Tea Co. is located in Kerrisdale in Vancouver. I discovered it one evening when I was babysitting for my cousin, and she had the most amazing Creamy Earl Grey tea in her cupboard. The only other thing the label said was "Secret Garden Tea Co". It was the most elegant thing, A white bag full of loose leaf tea with a simple, soft green circle on the front with those words inside. I was instantly transfixed. When I got home I did a search for this Tea shop and discovered that not only do they have large selection of unique and fantastic teas, they also do High Tea. And breakfast. And catering. And demi-high tea. And lunch. 

When I say High Tea, I'm not talking about cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and egg salad. I'm talking fancy. It's everything you would want in a tea party while you're wearing your best dress, and maybe some lacy gloves and fabulous hat. The High Tea menu changes every month, with only the favorites sticking around long-term. You need a reservation for High Tea, but everything else you can walk in. Though I would suggest avoiding the High Tea hours, 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm. I've been turned away before! (Luckily there's a cute pub a couple doors down that is also delicious).

I told myself I wouldn't be long-winded with this post, because I think the pictures will speak for themselves. My last comment is this, Don't be afraid of the prices! I promise, it's well worth it if you want a genuine High Tea experience! Without further ado, please go here, and Eat it Up.

Dave is boring and always gets Irish Breakfast Tea, I got Blue Angel (Rose, Hibiscus, Caramel, and Apple)

The one with the green and purple was an apple cake, the green was apple flavoured icing, and the purple thing was a real slice of Granny Smith apple, folded into a heart!

Cranberry Scones and Devonshire Cream

It's hard to take your time

BBQ Pulled Chicken croissant with basil

This is my new favourite: Lemon Rosemary biscuit with Ratatouille, Black Olive Tapenade, and Goat Cheese filling

Is there anything better?