As Promised

Lavender Brownies

3 T lavender

2 cups organic sugar

1 3/4 cups A.P. flour

3/4 cup + 2 T dutch process cocoa, plus more for dusting

1/2 t fleur de sel

1/2 t instant espresso (I use Starbucks Via Italian Roast)

3 sticks unsalted butter

4 eggs

2 t vanilla bean paste

-Method-

Preheat oven to 325º. Butter a 13x 9 pan and dust with cocoa powder. Pulse the lavender with a little of the sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining sugar, flour, cocoa, espresso, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Melt the butter in the microwave, and once cooled whisk in the eggs and vanilla.

Make a well in your dry ingredients and incorporate your wet ingredients. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out relatively clean.

Dark Chocolate Spice Cupcakes

No fancy recipe explanation here, this was just a basic dark chocolate cupcake recipe to which I added 1t ginger, 1/2 t cardamom, 1/2 t clove, and 1 t cinnamon. They were iced with basic buttercream with vanilla bean paste and lavender flowers.

Lavender Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup cream

5 T unsalted butter

2 t dried provence lavender

1.5 t good vanilla extract

1 t fleur de sel

-Method-

Heat sugar, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, making sure to wash down the sides with a pastry brush to avoid crystallization. Cook until amber in color, around 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cream, then put the pot back on the heat. Cook and stir until the cream is combined. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, vanilla, lavender, and fleur de sel. Let stand for 20 minutes, then strain. Serve immediately or keep, covered, in the refrigerator..