Lavender is a member of the Lamiaceae family, which includes many indispensible culinary herbs, such as the mints, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano and marjoram. Next time you’re out in your herb garden, take a close look at these herbs. You’ll notice that their stems, rather than being round, are actually square, which is one of the distinctive characteristics of this illustrious family. Another characteristic, of course, is that all these herbs produce highly fragrant essential oils. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that lavender can be used in cooking. Lavender can be substituted for any of these other herbs in cooking (except basil – I wouldn’t care to try a lavender pesto, but who knows?). It is, perhaps, most similar to rosemary or thyme, but imparts a delicate, floral flavour to dishes.

True English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, is the lavender most commonly used in cooking. It is described as having a sweet, floral flavour, with citrus notes. English lavender works the best, as it does not contain the camphor present in all other lavenders. I have, however, accidentally used Lavandula x intermedia in a batch of muffins, and they turned out fine. I think this was because I had substituted lavender for cinnamon in the recipe, so the spiciness that the camphor added was not out of place. Add too much though, and your muffins will taste like mothballs. Also, other varieties contain compounds such as borneol, which should not be ingested.

It is the flowers of the lavender that are generally used, and can be added fresh or dried. It is easier to use dried lavender in cookies, cakes or muffins, as you need the lavender to be in individual florets rather than whole flower heads, and it is easier to remove the florets from the stalk after drying. Hang the bunch upside down to dry, then when completely dry, rub the bunched flowers backwards and forwards between your hands in a ‘hand-washing’ motion. The florets, which will sprinkle down, then need to be sieved to remove any seeds, pollen, or dust. Culinary Lavender will keep indefinitely if stored away from heat and light, in a dry, airtight container. 

Lavender stalks, leaf with or without the flowers, can be used as a bed for roasting meats on. Try lavender together with rosemary and thyme for an unforgettable fragrance. The stalks can also be used, like rosemary, as skewers for kebabs either on the barbecue or in the oven. Another great use for the spent lavender stalks, after you have removed the precious flowers, is to throw them onto the barbecue coals to add fragrance to your cooking. Tie them in tight bundles, about the diameter of your thumb and index finger circled. Soak them in water for an hour or so before using, so that the smolder, rather than go up in flames.

To learn more about cooking with lavender, and for some great lavender recipes, try this website: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Lavender.htm

Recipes

This first recipe has nothing to do with lavender. It is here simply because everybody who tries my chocolate cake asks for the recipe. It comes from my favourite cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, but has been adapted slightly. The best way to serve is with Chocolate Ganache icing (recipe below), but if you are making layers, then try the Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream between your layers (the buttercream recipe below is one I adapted from the internet, but sorry, I can't remember the original source).

Decadent Chocolate Cake

1 cup boiling water

100 g darkest chocolate

200 g butter

1 tsp vanilla paste

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp baking soda, seived to remove lumps

½ cup sour cream

2 level cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Spray a 20 cm tin with baking spray, line with baking paper, then spray again.

2. Using a large bowl, pour boiling water over chocolate and butter; let stand until melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar, then whisk in egg yolks, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

3. Mix seived baking soda into sour cream, then whisk into chocolate mixture.

4. Sift flour and baking powder together and add to batter, mixing thoroughly.

5. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir a quarter of the egg whites thoroughly into the batter. Fold remaining egg whites into the batter gently.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes, or until the edges have pulled away from the pan and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.

Milk Chocolate Ganache Icing

100 g dark chocolate, chopped

100 g milk chocolate, chopped

½ cup cream

Heat the cream almost to a simmer, just until the surface begins to tremble a bit. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate has melted. Whisk the mixture to make it glossy. Let it cool down enough so that it thickens and doesn't run off the cake when you pour it over. This will probably be more then you need for one cake.

Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream

250 g semisweet chocolate, chopped
400 g unsalted butter, room temperature (It must be unsalted!)
5 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place chocolate, 2 ounces in top half of double boiler. When melted, transfer to a stainless steel bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside until needed.

Place egg whites and sugar in a Kitchenaid mixing bowl. Set bowl over 1 inch of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk gently until mixture reaches 60°C (or until the sugar has dissolved and is no longer gritty). Remove from heat and set on Kitchenaid mixer with balloon whisk. Whisk on speed 4 until stiff. Turn down whip speed to 3rd and whip until cool to the touch (this takes a while – should be cooler than your hand). Change to a paddle and gradually add soft butter by tablespoon pieces. Mix to emulsify. Once desired consistency has been reached, fold in cooled chocolate until well incorporated.

Note: I have read that Swiss Meringue can't be used directly under fondant, but I have used this icing as a crumb coat under fondant and the result was fine. The only difficulty I had was potential for getting chocolate smudges on the fondant. It would be better if a portion of the buttercream were reserved for the crumb coat before adding the chocolate to the rest. It is true that ordinary buttercream works better under fondant, but I can't bear the sickly sweetness of normal buttercream, and the grittiness of the icing sugar is off-putting too.

Good luck with your wedding cake, Nana Pat!