Cookies - How to use dried lavender in baking recipes (2023)

FAQs

How do you bake with dried lavender? ›

Lavender for Baking

It can be ground and used in baking cookies and cakes or bury the buds in sugar and allow the essential oil to soak into the sugar crystals for a week. Lavender can also be used to kick up your homemade pizza dough. Just add 1-2 teaspoons (4.9 -9.8 ml.) of the herb to your favorite dough recipe.

The dried or fresh flowers can also be chopped up and mixed in with sugar to be added to a variety of baked goods. To infuse sugar with the floral flavor, seal six stems of lavender in an airtight container with granulated sugar for a week.

Or use lavender to infuse simple syrup, then mix it into lemonade, iced tea, many, many cocktails, or even meringue. Or steep it in cream or milk before straining and using in pudding, ice cream, or whipped cream.

The best way to dry culinary lavender flowers is to gather a bunch of around 20-30 flowers and tie them together with twine or a rubber band to create a bunch. Use a clothespin or other device to hang it upside down for one to two weeks or until completely dry.

The big plus is that, unlike fresh flowers, they're very low-maintenance – you don't need any water and they'll last for many months – often years.

Properly stored, dried lavender will generally stay at best quality for about 2 to 3 years. To maximize the shelf life of dried lavender purchased in bulk, and to better retain flavor and potency, store in containers with tight-fitting lids.

Lavender pairs well with chocolate, berry and citrus. One-half teaspoon is sufficient for most cake or cookie recipes. In commercial baking applications we recommend a starting use level of 0.10% and adjust to desired impact is achieved One-half teaspoon is sufficient for most cake or cookie recipes.

Yes, you can eat lavender! Lavender is an herb just like rosemary and thyme and you can eat lavender in endless dishes, drinks and sides!

Symptoms of lavender oil poisoning include: Blurred vision. Difficulty breathing. Burning pain in the throat.

When taken by mouth: Lavender is commonly consumed in foods. It's possibly safe when taken as medicine. Side effects might include constipation, diarrhea, and headache.

Which lavender is not edible? ›

Lavandins (L. x. intermedia) is edible, as is all lavender, but its flavor can be resinous and pungent. A Lavandin type will make a dish taste bitter.

At this point, lavender flowers are also at their peak for color and fragrance. Sun bleaches the color from lavender flowers, so aim to cut them as soon as they're ready. If you wait to cut lavender flowers until all the buds are fully open, the blossoms will shatter easily after they dry.

Most lavender will keep a very strong fragrance for an entire season when dried, but when you store and care for it correctly you can extend that life upwards of 10 years.

Culinary Lavender Cooking Tips

Whether it's fresh or dried, lavender should be treated just like any other herb. If kept out of direct light and in an airtight and dry container, lavender will stay flavorful and fragrant for 1-3 years.

The Oven Method

Here are the simple steps for drying lavender in the oven: Set the oven to low heat at around 100 degrees Celsius. Spread a thin layer of lavender on a baking tray and place it in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the stalks are completely brittle.

Lavender Varieties that are Edible

The great thing about English Lavender is every variety can be used for cooking. Some varieties are more sought after than others, but all of the around 100 varieties in the Lavandula Angustifolia species are considered edible lavenders.

Boil lavender on the stove to make room scents.

Bring the pot to a boil on the stove. Then lower the temperature so the mixture simmers. This will disperse the smell through your house. You can add other scents to the lavender, like lemon balm, vanilla extract, or thyme.

The darkness helps the lavender retain its color, and drying lavender upside-down helps lavender retain its blossom shape.

An easy way to create a dried lavender bouquet is to arrange stems, after cutting, in a vase without water. Flowers and stems will dry upright in the vase. Once lavender dries, gather stems to form dried lavender bunches for wreaths or decorating.

Lavender tea boasts anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation and prevent a host of serious ailments. Reducing inflammation can prevent heart attacks by reducing the risk of blood clots caused by inflamed arteries.

Why does my dried lavender not smell? ›

Does dried lavender lose its smell? Dry lavender will naturally lose its smell after a while, as all the fragrant essential oils evaporate. It can take a few weeks to a few months depending on the exact location. But don't worry, it can be revived simply by pouring into a bag and giving a firm squeeze.

Too Little Humidity – If the air is too dry, it can cause the leaves on your lavender plant to turn brown and crispy. The best way to fix this problem is to create a humid environment for your lavender by misting it with water regularly, or growing it near other plants.

To dry lavender, follow these simple steps: Hang them in a dark room with ventilation or a small fan, so the lavender doesn't get moldy. (Lavender will dry in 3-5 days depending on humidity levels but will get moldy if there is no ventilation.)

Both lavender varieties have a lovely scent, but to a well trained nose, it's easy to spot the difference. English lavender is much lighter and sweeter than French lavender because it has less camphor, a chemical with a piney, woody scent.

Lavender contains over 100 known compounds, including phytochemicals and antioxidants. The most well-known of these compounds is limonene, which stimulates digestive enzymes in the liver and may help to detoxify the body of carcinogens. Lavender is also reputed for its calming effects.

Lavender alleviates cardiac excitation, lowers BP, and is effective in hypertension and palpitations. Ylang-ylang lowers BP, alleviates palpitations and nervous system excitation, and promotes emotional relaxation [12].

D., a co-investigator for the new study, previously found laboratory evidence that lavender and tea tree oil have estrogenic (estrogen-like) properties and anti-androgenic (testosterone inhibiting-like) activities, meaning they compete or hinder the hormones that control male characteristics, which could affect puberty ...

Soothe an Upset Stomach with Lavender

German doctors often recommend lavender tea as a digestive aid. The oils relax the smooth muscles of the digestive tract and soothe after-meal cramps in the stomach and intestine. Lavender also helps to ease intestinal wind.

Lavender might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking lavender along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness. Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.

Can lavender cause health problems? ›

Consumption of lavender in the amounts typically used in foods is likely to be safe. Short-term oral use in the amounts tested in studies of lavender for anxiety or other conditions may also be safe. The topical use of products containing lavender may cause allergic skin reactions in some people.

There are hundreds of varieties of lavender, but many are specifically grown for their excellent oil properties, not for eating. The best edibles are English lavender varieties (Lavandula angustifolia) like Hidcote, Munstead, and Lady. You can use lavender in sweet and savoury dishes, but there is an art to it.

It's important to make sure your lavender is completely dry before storing it. You'll know it's dry when the flowers and leaves are brittle, and fall off the stem easily when disturbed. You can remove the dried buds from the stems by gently running your fingers along the stem.

If it's pruned lightly just after its first flowering, it will likely flower again in late summer. After this second flowering, a full pruning—typically in late August—will prepare it for winter and encourage more blooms in spring.

Firstly, do not plant your lavender in the ground until all risk of frost has passed. We recommend gradually hardening them off by putting them outside for just a few hours a day for about a week, then for the full day for about a week.

Lavender shrubs bear bright, fragrant blossoms and can live for 20 years or more. However, after six or eight years, they can begin to look woody, filled with dead wood and bearing fewer of their sweet-smelling flowers.

The rice helps to absorb moisture to keep the lavender fresh longer. It also provides added weight to the sachet. Mix together.

Lavender is used in baking goods, beverages, cheeses, and marinades. If you have a plant in your own yard you can use it in the kitchen and discover how this ancient herb is one of the latest modern food trends. Cooking with lavender adds flavor to your dishes without extra salt or fat.

Fill heat packs with rice, lavender and essential oils (optional) Using a funnel, fill the heating pads with about 1/4 cup of rice at a time, alternating with dried lavender buds. You will only need 1/8 to 1/4 cup of lavender buds total, unless you want a stronger scent.

Dried lavender can be used in rubs, marinades, sauces, cookies and sorbet. It can also be added to a simple syrup mixture and used to flavor summer drinks like cocktails, lemonade or iced tea. Shopping Tip: Be sure to purchase lavender for cooking as opposed to lavender sold at craft shops.

What is the best lavender to bake with? ›

The best lavender to use for cooking is lavender from the species: Lavandula Angustifolia. Any cultivar within this species will taste best for cooking. Some cultivars in this species that are favorites for cooking include Royal Velvet, Folgate, and Melissa.

Most lavender will keep a very strong fragrance for an entire season when dried, but when you store and care for it correctly you can extend that life upwards of 10 years.

In cooking, we like to use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers to fresh.

If you have a small amount of lavender the easiest way to remove debris from your lavender buds may be picking the debris out by hand. Another common method is using a sifter or colander to help remove the smaller pieces of debris and hand picking the larger ones.

Like rosemary leaves, dried lavender buds are often a bit too coarse to add as-is to some recipes. You can chop them or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Or prepare a large quantity in advance by putting at least¼ cup in a food processor; process for four or five minutes or until coarsely ground.