At last I did it.  I fiddled with another recipe and came up with this one for a pumpkin lavender cake.  It did not disappoint.

This cake is doubly special to me because I also did some research on pumpkins and learned more about the Rouge Vif d’Etampes pumpkin.  It’s a French heirloom pumpkin which was first brought to the U.S. in the late 1800s and is now often referred to as a Cinderella pumpkin.  I learned that the flesh of this pumpkin is very thick, yielding much more pumpkin than most and that it also makes the most delicious pumpkin pies.  So, naturally, I bought one.  On Sunday I cut it in half, scraped out the seeds (which I’ve saved to plant next year) and baked it.  Can you believe how beautiful this pumpkin is?  The color is breathtaking, and the walls are very thick.

I could only fit one half on a baking sheet at a time and it yielded a huge bowl of pumpkin, probably enough for all my pumpkin baking this year.  (Yay for me!  I learned something new!)

And thus my pumpkin lavender cake was born, baked with homemade pumpkin puree.  I baked it in my pumpkin cake pan, but it would be especially pretty in a bundt cake pan as well.  {And if I’m honest, I’d say this cake pan makes it look more like a candied apple than a pumpkin, so maybe next year I should try a caramel apple cake in this pan!}  What really matters with this cake is its flavor.

Here’s the recipe:

Pumpkin Lavender Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon dried lavender buds
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup heavy cream (or half and half will work, too)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Place the sugar and lavender in a blender or food processor and process until lavender is chopped and incorporated into sugar (*if you’d like to smell something divine, just savor this for a few minutes!).  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter until light and fluffy.  Add 1/3 sugar mixture and beat.  Continue this until all sugar is added and mixture is creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each egg.  Add vanilla and beat well.

In a small bowl, combine pumpkin and cream and mix together.  In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add 1/3 pumpkin mixture to batter and mix well.  Add 1/3 flour mixture and beat again.  Continue adding both the pumpkin and flour mixtures (alternating between the two) until all ingredients are combined.

Grease a bundt pan and spoon batter into pan.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Invert onto cooling rack to remove cake from pan and allow to cool completely.

My first impression of the cake was that the lavender flavor was the tiniest bit stronger than the pumpkin.  Because of this I opted to frost it with my Brown Sugar Frosting to balance the lavender and increase the traditional pumpkin taste.  I sprinkled the top with lavender buds for a finishing touch.

My family loved it. They all liked different things more.  Some liked the frosting best, some liked the cake, some liked the pumpkin, some loved the lavender.  It was gone in an afternoon.  I loved savoring each bite, tasting the lavender and the pumpkin both.  I’ll definitely make this cake again, and it was a fun first effort at pairing pumpkin and lavender.

If you ever try it, let me know.  I’d love to get more opinions on the two flavors together!

Jennifer

This cake is one I’ve been making for years.  Shared by a friend, it combines the familiar flavor of pumpkin with the unexpected taste of butterscotch.  The butterscotch is mild enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the cake, and even people who usually dislike butterscotch give it compliments.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups butterscotch morsels, divided
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 Tb. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup undiluted evaporated milk

Preparation:

Microwave 1 cup butterscotch morsels for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir, microwave for another 20 seconds until smooth.  Stir together melted butterscotch, pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with wire whisk.  Stir in combined dry ingredients.  Spray a 10 inch bundt pan with non-stick spray and spoon batter in.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 30 minutes.  Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare butterscotch sauce, heat evaporated milk over medium heat and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and add remaining 1 cup butterscotch morsels.  Stir until smooth.  Return to heat and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Spoon small amount of sauce over entire cake, reserving at least half the sauce to spoon over individual slices.

Enjoy!
HH

Mmmm.  Wish you were here to smell it with me!

Loving my lavender,

Jennifer

Last week I cut my lavender.  It was a beautiful morning and the solitary activity in the stillness of early hours was therapeutic.

Observing the variation in color, the itty bitty flowers, how the scent varies slightly from plant to plant was good for my soul.  How grateful I feel for this slowing down that July has brought to us.

The bundles are now hanging to dry in my studio.  I bundle the lavender with rubber bands.  As the lavender dries the stalks will shrink so rubber bands are perfect for holding it together.  A turquoise ribbon over the rubber band to hang and I was done.

It feels good.  My first lavender harvest in years.  I look forward to the increased yield that time will bring when my young plants produce more.  For now, the faint scent greets me when I walk in the room and the beauty of it hanging in front of my mirror makes me smile.

{Happy sigh.}

Jennifer

Imagine my delight to happen upon Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ in a local nursery this week.   Immediately I was sorry my lavender garden isn’t ready for planting, for if it was I would have happily scooped up two dozen Munstead lavender plants and taken them home.  This, I am certain, is what I grew at my old house with such success.   My heart skipped a beat when I spotted it, but I limited myself to only three.

The lavender garden will have to wait for now.  I’ve decided on the plot of ground, but first I must clear it of weeds, rid it of ants and prepare the soil for lavender.

Early in June a friend stopped by unexpectedly and I offered her my most recent lavender recipe experiment for sampling.  She told me she had some lavender plants she was going to pull out of her yard.  I told her I’d take one if she had nothing to do with it.  Later that week she called me, saying it was out and ready to be picked up.  I was surprised when I got there; it was huge!  It took both of us to carry it and get it in my car.

It’s approximately 3 feet in diameter and very woody; not what you want lavender to look like.  This is what becomes of lavender when it isn’t pruned.  The transplant made it uglier than it was before she took it out.  Some of the branches fell off or started to sag.   It’s got to be at least 5 years old, which means it only has a few years left so I figure I can at least harvest it until then.

I worried that it might not do well.  I was moving it from a part-sun location to full sun, and also to a spot that is much windier than where it came from.  Happily it appears to be thriving (even after a couple of bad wind storms), and is now beginning to bloom.

I’ve now planted all around it as well, so the general appearance of the bush isn’t such an eyesore.

Finally, I found a French lavender that is just gorgeous, although it’s not good for harvesting.  It’s called Lavandula dentata ‘Goodwin Creek’.  The dentata is a giveaway – it refers to the shape of the leaves, which is what I love about it.

Sometimes called “toothed lavender”, the dentata name refers to the toothed leaf  shape.  The flowers themselves remind me more of wildflowers than lavender but I thought it was so beautiful that I added it to the yard.  I hope it thrives.

What do you think?

HH

The Latin name for Spanish lavender is Lavandula stoechas.   In my opinion the most distinguishing characteristic of L. stoechas is the showy “flower” which forms at the tip of the flower head (see below picture).  In fact, that bright purple decoration isn’t a flower at all; it’s a type of leaf formation called a bract.  Gorgeous.

Spanish lavender’s aren’t as hardy as English lavenders.  While most L. angustifolia is hardy to -20 degrees Farenheit, L. stoechas is hardy only to 15 or 10 degrees.  It was, perhaps, a gamble to put some in my garden, but I decided it’s worth a try.

The plant I bought was labeled Lavendula stoechas ‘Madrid Purple’.   What I’ve read indicates that the bract is all show and no flavor and that it is also difficult to get much fragrance from the flower heads.  On this particular cultivar the individual corollas seem too small to be of much use.  It would probably be beautiful, however, in a flower arrangement, and my reading also indicates that the foliage, when cooked or grilled, stands up well as an herb in culinary dishes.  Spanish lavender, however, is not a flower of choice for sweet desserts.

In addition to the beautiful bracts, I was attracted to the Spanish lavender because the scent of the foliage seemed stronger to me than the English lavender I’m familiar with.  Again, my reading so far has indicated that the aroma of the L. stoechas foliage is, indeed, more robust.  Apparently it yields more essential oil per acre harvested than L. angustifolia, (English lavender).

I purchased a second Spanish lavender plant, also labeled Lavendula stoechas ‘Madrid Purple’ which has white bracts instead of purple bracts.  The flowers on this plant also seem a bit brighter than the midnight purple color of the flowers above.  I’m wondering if this lavender with white bracts is actually a different cultivar.  In The Lavender Garden: Beautiful Varieties to Grow and Gather Robert Kourik mentions L. stoechas ‘Alba’, a Spanish lavender with pure white bracts.  This beautiful lavender will, I hope, thrive in my garden  for several years to come.

And so, in my little corner of the world I now have three slightly different lavenders growing.  While I’m pretty sure L. angustifolia will be my final choice for serious growing, the Spanish lavender is a beautiful plant.    It will be fun to observe these plants as summer arrives.

I’ve read the first third of one of my new lavender books:  The Lavender Garden: Beautiful Varieties to Grow and Gather by Robert Kourik.  So far it’s been interesting and informative.

On Saturday I added three lavender plants to my flowerbed and I thought it would be fun to introduce you to them.  Interestingly, lavender belongs to the plant family of mints.   This grouping is distinguished by square stems and often by remarkable fragrances as well.  There are three basic families of lavender:  English lavender, often called true lavender; Spanish lavender; and French lavender.

The first plant I added to my garden is an English lavender.  In latin names, all plants begin first with the genus, followed by the species.  The genus for lavender is Lavandula (always capitalized) and the species name for English lavenders is angustifolia.  Angustifolia means “narrow-leaved.”

The picture above is an English lavender, or Lavandula angustifolia.  The label on my lavender reads:  Lavandula angustifolia ‘Ellagance Purple’. The Ellagance Purple in single quotation marks indicates that this lavender is a cultivar.  A cultivar means it is a specimen of a plant variety that was specifically selected from among seedlings because it differs in some unique way from the typical or normal species plant.  The specimen was something that occurred naturally in nature and is propagated from cuttings, which is the only way to keep the unique traits of the cultivar.

You can also see names abbreviated, such as L. angustifolia ‘Ellagance Purple’ or even L. a. ‘Ellagance Purple’.

Have I confused you yet?

I wish I knew the cultivar or variety of the lavender I grew at my old house.  All I know is that it was an English, or angustifolia lavender.  This ‘Ellagance Purple’ cultivar differs from the lavender I previously grew in a few ways.

First, there are fewer leaves on each stem.  Second, the whorls are smaller and more compact.  Instead of having little flowers or blooms, called corollas, that are spaced farther apart, this cultivar has them together tightly.  Each stem also has fewer corollas, which likely means less lavender to harvest, if harvesting is your interest. I’ll have to wait and see.   Given the name of the cultivar, my guess is that it was selected for it’s rich purple color which also has greater visual impact because the corollas aren’t spread out.  A little online research yielded this information:

“2008 Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner!  This outstanding variety was selected by the Fleuroselect judges on the basis of its quick crop time, uniformity, color, and floridity.

‘Ellagance Purple’ performs admirably in the garden, producing masses of fragrant, intense purple-blue blossoms atop bushy mounds of silver-green foliage from midsummer through early fall.”  (source here.)

Given this information, it should be fun to watch this lavender plant grow.  Up tomorrow:  Spanish lavender.  Should be fun!

Jennifer

In the intervening years since we sold our home I’ve dreamed of planting a “real” lavender garden.   Instead of rushing to plant I’ve decided to research first and, if necessary, begin the actual project next year (still, I’m crossing my fingers for this year).

These two books now sit on my desk.  I’m giddy about reading them and I hope to learn enough to make good decisions about creating a lavender garden of my own.  I’ve peeked at both books and wonder what kind of journey will follow their reading.  I think the first step will be to test my soil, something I thought I’d never be interested in!

Meanwhile, I’ve got my essential garden (meaning my children) to care for.  Their busy school years will wrap up in the next few weeks and my oversize calendar is already overflowing.  Still, seeing these beautiful books waiting for me is a boost on busy and somewhat discouraging days.

{Long sigh}

I miss my lavender and am anxious to grow it again.
What are you growing that you love?

Jennifer

But not just any lemonade.

Homemade lavender lemonade.  Our favorite summertime drink.  Delicious and refreshing.

My husband just looked at these pictures and said, “If only you could describe how good that stuff is!”

Here’s how to make it:
Boil 10 cups water with 4 cups sugar to make a simple syrup.  Remove from heat and add 4 Tb. dried lavender buds to the syrup.  Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours.  Pour mixture into a large container, using cheesecloth to strain lavender.  Discard lavender buds.

Squeeze up to 10 lemons until you have 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice.
In a large container, mix lemon juice with 12 cups water.

Add lemon water to syrup mixture and watch the color change.  Stir and pour a bit into a glass to taste.  Feel free to add more water if it’s too strong, or a bit more lemon juice if you want it stronger.

Add ice, and serve.

Enjoy the refreshing taste.  Serve some more.

You get the idea.

Makes just less than 1.5 gallons of lemonade.

I poured some into pint sized mason jars to share with friends.  Fabric and a tag finished the gift.  I enjoy sharing gifts from my kitchen.

Hope you try it, and happy August!

Hopeful Homemaker

These cookies are amazing.  Before I share the recipe with you, I must beg you to give lavender a try.
If you’ve never tasted it, this is the way to start.  If you’ve tasted it but think you don’t like it, this cookie is still something to try because it will probably change your mind.  They’re that good.

And I must also say that this is the first recipe I’ve ever had that is so good that I’m tempted not to share the recipe.  It would be such a trademark cookie if I ever needed one.  But, since I have no venture of that kind in my future, I’ll share it with you.  My neighbor has dubbed them “Wedding Reception Cookies”… and guess what I’ll be making for his daughter’s wedding reception this summer???

Lavender Shortbread Cookies.

I grew, harvested and dried the lavender I’m using in this recipe.  If you don’t have any and don’t know where to get some, try your local health food store.

Begin with 1 cup (1/2 pound) softened unsalted butter, no substitutions.

Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, almost white in color.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 teaspoons lavender buds, dried or fresh (no stems).

Beat again until it is once more light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Place 2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a flour sifter and sift together.

Add flour to butter mixture.  Mix until dough is sticking together.

On a long piece of waxed paper, pat and form the dough into a 12 to 14 inch log.

Carefully roll dough up in waxed paper.  If you want a square or rectangle shape, flatten the sides as you roll it up.

Chill the dough until firm, at least 2 hours.  Remove from refrigerator and carefully slice into 1/4 inch pieces.

Lay on parchment paper at least 1 inch apart from one another (the cookies below are a little too close together).

Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for 17 to 18 minutes or until firm.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

As they are, these cookies are fabulous.  The flavor is one that will make people come back a year later and tell you they’ve been craving them.  You can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks, or they also freeze well.

But if that isn’t enough, you can try what I tried on a whim last summer, and dip them in chocolate:

Dip about 1/3 of each cookie in chocolate, then lay on waxed paper to cool and harden.

Oh, so yummy!

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature (do NOT substitute margarine!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons dried or fresh lavender buds
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

In mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy, and almost white in color.  Add sugar, lavender and vanilla.  Beat for 2 more minutes.  Sift flour and salt together and add to butter mixture.  Mix until flour is incorporated and dough is sticky.

On a long sheet of waxed paper, pat and form the dough into a log that is 12 to 14 inches long.  Carefully roll up, shaping into whatever shape you wish as you roll.  Chill dough for at least 2 hours.  Preheat oven to 325.  Carefully slice dough into 1/4 inch slices.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 17 to 18 minutes or until firm.  Cool completely.  Dip in chocolate if desired.

Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks, or freeze (if they last that long, around here they’re gone in minutes!)
Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

I hope you love these like we do.  They’re our #1 cookie.
Jennifer