I made a promise to myself that now my Blog is one year old, I would try to make it more seasonal. I want to find recipes that relate to the time of the year and even though we can buy pretty much everything in our stores, anytime of the year, I thought it would be nice to try and source local ingredients as well as those ingredients that are in season and also where possible, ingredients that you can source for free in the countryside.
 
I have started well with my Elderflower Cordial recipe and soon to follow Elderflower Champagne recipe, also coming soon are great Antipasti recipes which will be great when gardeners have a glut of tomatoes and peppers bursting from their greenhouses.
 
For now, here is a true taste of summer, lavender! The lavenders (Lavandula) are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family.
 
Lavender is so versatile, its flowers can be candied and are sometimes used as cake decorations. Lavender flavors baked goods and desserts (it pairs especially well with chocolate), and is also used to make “lavender sugar” as used in the recipe below.
 
I’m not sure if its the weather, a great mixture of warm rain and sunshine, but Lavender seems to be flourishing everywhere here in Surrey, I have not only made this cake but jars of Lavender sugar for future recipes, I will also be drying some for winter use, just as long as the Bee’s don’t mind sharing I will be harvesting a lot of my Lavender this summer.
 
Buon appetito
 
(Recipe taken from July 2011 Country Life)
Makes 8 small loaf cakes or 1 loaf tin, also I am going to try this recipe making cup cake or fairy cakes, decorated with a little Lavender, I think they will look so pretty.
 
175g very soft butter, plus extra for greasing
225g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of 1 lemon
175 Lavender sugar or caster sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons fresh or dried Lavender flowers
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
 
For the icing:
175g icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon fresh or dried Lavender flowers
1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice
 
Heat the oven to 160c (140c fan oven) gas mark 3. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of 8 x 200ml mini loaf tins (or a 900g loaf tin) with baking parchment. Set the tins on a baking sheet.
 
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the butter, lemon zest, Lavender sugar and eggs. Beat together for 2 minutes with an electric whisk until fluffy and light in colour. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and level the tops. So simple, bung it all in recipe, you can’t go wrong.
 
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes (or 45 minute to 1 hour for the large loaf cake) until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn our onto a wire rack.
 
Mix together the icing sugar, fresh or dried Lavender flowers and enough of the lemon juice to make a spreadable but not to runny icing. Add a drop or two of tepid water if necessary. When the cakes are completely cold, spread the icing over the top of each one.