Lavender Tea Cakes

Photo: flickr user The Gifted Photographer

Ingredients

4 teaspoons Dried Lavender

9 ounces Granulated Sugar

8 ounces Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

Finely Grated Zest from 2 Oranges

Juice from 2 Large Oranges

1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

4 Whole Eggs

3/4 teaspoon Salt

7 ounces All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 ounces Ground Almond Flour

For the Topping ( Garnish)

2 ounces Sliced, Toasted Almonds

Confectioners Sugar for Dusting

1 teaspoon dried Lavender

Preparation

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Grease Muffin Pan, and lightly dust with flour

Put the Lavender, and some of the Sugar into a clean coffee grinder, and grind until a fine powder is formed. Combine powdered Lavender mixture with remaining Sugar and reserve.

Cream the Lavender Sugar with Butter until light and fluffy.

Add Orange Juice, Orange Zest, Almond Extract and Eggs. Mix well.

Sift together Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Beat into the wet ingredients and add Ground Almonds.

Pour Batter into prepared Muffin molds, leaving ¼ Inch from the top.

Sprinkle Almonds evenly over the top of the batter, and dust with Confectioners Sugar.

Bake for 35-40 Minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool 10 minutes, and remove from pan.

Sprinkle with dried Lavender and serve.

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About

I've written before of my love of cooking with edible flowers, and this is one of the best applications I have for the practice. Almond cakes on their own are wonderful, but with the subtle taste of Lavender added they are superb.