Lavender Bread Food

LAVENDER TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Combine the milk and lavender in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a simmer, then remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until the mixture is light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk and lavender until just blended. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a wooden pick inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the butter until soft in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add 1/4 cup sugar and mix until incorporated. Stir together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix at low speed just until the ingredients are almost incorporated, then add the lavender, and mix until the dough starts to come together. Flour a work surface, turn the dough onto it, and knead it 5 to 10 times, to bring the dough together and smooth it out.
• Reflour the work surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a little less than 1/4-inch thick to fit an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment. To transfer to the pan, roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, lift it up, and unroll into the pan. (Or, press the dough thoroughly into the pan with your fingers.) Prick the shortbread all over with a fork, or use a pique-vite (dough docker) if you've got one, to prevent any buckling or shrinking. Sprinkle the surface evenly with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar.
• Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, deflate the dough by knocking the pan once against the oven rack then rotate the pan to ensure even cooking and a flat surface. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden all over and very lightly browned. As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the surface evenly with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Let cool about 5 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 3 rows by 5 rows making about 1 1/2-inch by 3-inch bars. Let cool completely in the pan. Remove from the pan and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

ROMANTIC ROSEMARY OR LAVENDER BREAD

Steps:

• Combine yeast and lukewarm water until well blended and let sit about 10 minutes- it should look foamy and thick (if your water was too hot or your yeast is bad, it will not get foamy and you'll need to start over).
• Combine buttermilk, oil, rosemary (or lavender), 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt in a mixer bowl, then add the yeast mixture and combine well.
• Add flour gradually, beating slowly until enough flour has been added to form a dough ball that leaves the sides of the bowl in one mass.
• Dump any remaining flour onto a flat surface, dump dough onto that surface, and with floured hands knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
• Set dough into a large greased bowl, flip dough over to grease both sides, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk- about 1 1/2 hours.
• On dough has risen, place dough onto a floured surface and cut into equal halves and form each half into a round loaf shape.
• Set loaves onto a large greased baking sheet dusted with cornmeal.
• Cover with a clean, slightly damp towel and let rise 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Using a serrated knife, slash the top of each loaf with an asterisk (*) pattern and sprinkle each with a little coarse salt (optional).
• Bake in center of the preheated oven for 15 minutes, spritzing occasionally (at least 2-3 times).
• Continue baking another 45-55 minutes (no more spritzing) or until the loaves sounds hollow when rapped on the bottom and they appear golden brown.
• Let cool on racks completely.

LAVENDER BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325°F Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• 2. Combine milk and lavender in a small saucepan over medium heat
• 3. Heat to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• 4. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
• 5. Beat in the eggs until mixture is light and fluffy.
• 6. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, then stir into the creamed butter/sugar mixture alternately with the lavender milk until just blended.
• 7. Pour mix into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick or fork inserted into top of loaf comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

LAVENDER HONEY TEA BREAD

Steps:

• Bring milk to simmer in small saucepan; add honey and 1 tablespoon lavender blossoms. Stir until honey dissolves. Remove from heat; cover and let steep 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour decorative 10-cup fluted pan or Bundt pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
• Strain milk mixture into another medium bowl; discard solids in strainer. Whisk sour cream into milk mixtureto blend. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each, beating just until smooth. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with rubber spatula.
• Bake bread until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.
• Combine powdered sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lavender blossoms in strainer set over small bowl. Press sugar mixture through strainer, discarding large bits. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.) Sift strained powdered sugar mixture over bread.
• *Lavender honey is available at specialty foods stores and at zingermans.com; dried lavender blossoms are available online at gourmetsleuth.com.
• Baker's wisdom:
• For a delicate texture, mix in the dry ingredients just until the tea bread batter is blended.

LAVENDER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and 2 teaspoons lavender; cover and set aside at room temperature for 24 hours. , In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and remaining lavender. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; add to the creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, 2 hours. , Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into 1-1/2-in. squares. Repeat with remaining dough. , Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork several times. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 18-22 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Sift reserved lavender sugar; discard lavender. Sprinkle cookies with the sugar. Store in airtight containers.