Lemon & Lavender Muffins

“Oh! I have something for you!” Laura said to me last week.  After rushing to her car, she came back with a small ziplock bag with herbs inside it.  I’m going to be honest, the bag looked…well…a bit sketch.  I didn’t quite know what to expect from her impromptu present.  “Thanks” I said hesitatingly.  “Smell it!” she exclaimed.

I smelled it.

“LAVENDER!!!” I immediately squealed.  “Where’d you get this?!”

“My next door neighbor recently returned from France with all of these fresh herbs from an open market in Savoy.”

And that, my readers, is how the recipe for Lemon Lavender Muffins was born.  It was not an easy journey to make this recipe; I kept wondering about what I should make with my 2 tablespoons of fresh French lavender. Lavender Infused Olive Oil? Lavender Ice Cream? But this recipe seemed just right.

Use fresh lavender from your garden (or from Savoy if you’re so lucky!) for a lemon muffin with a certain “je ne sais quoi” about it.  The result is a light, citrusy muffin with a hind of fresh herb.

Lemon Lavender Muffins
This recipe is a variation of the lemon quick bread recipe by Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes (the original can be found here).  I’ve made several changes to the ingredients and techniques: one, I’ve switched out Elise’s suggestion for cardamom for fresh lavender, two, I’ve add lemon zest and juice to the batter, and three, I’ve waited until the bread is “cooled” when adding the glaze.

Ingredients:
* 1 stick butter, softened and cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon lemon zest + 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons fresh lavender, ground
* 1 teaspoon baking powder

Lemon Glaze
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon honey

Special Equipment Needed:
* 1 coffee grinder for grinding the lavender

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 12 muffin pan with cupcake paper.

2.) Measure 1-2 teaspoons lavender.

3.) Grind in a coffee grinder.

4.) Cut 1 stick butter into 1 inch cubes and soften (30 seconds in the microwave will do).

5.) Add to standing mixer such as a Kitchenaid and turn on low speed.  Mix for 1-2 minutes, or until butter is fluffy.

6.) Add sugar and mix to integrate.  Add eggs one at a time.

7.) Add salt, baking powder, lavender, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Mix on low to integrate.

8.) Add flower slowly until fully mixed in.  Stop mixer to scrape down sides and mix one last minute.

9.) Pour batter into muffin pan.

10.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

11.) Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling pan.

12.) Once muffins are cooled, create the lemon glaze: combine 1/4 cup lemon juice with 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon honey.  Whisk to properly integrate.

13.) Puncture holes throughout tops of the muffins using a small toothpick.  Pour glaze over tops of muffins.  It’s good to do this last step over a plate that you don’t plan on serving the muffins on as you will have lots of glaze pouring off onto the plate.  Clean up any puddling that may happen around the muffins and clean muffin bottoms.  Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy! Makes 12.

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