Lavender Salted Lemon Blondies

by cookingwithauntjuju.com

If you follow my blog you probably know how much I love lavender and use the florets to make sweet and savory dishes. Lavender salt is more versatile and more effective than the lavender flowers according to Mark Bitterman, author of Bitterman’s Craft Salt Cooking – The Single Ingredient That Transforms All Your Favorite Foods and Recipes. Paired with the zest and juice of 1 lemon brings these torte-like bar cookies to life. Unbelievable taste of first the salt then the lemon – what a truly delicious pairing!!!

Honestly, in all the years I have used lavender I only made a lavender cream once that was a little “heavy” with the lavender. I have been a follower of Mark for many years (with 4 of his books – I forgot to include 1 cookbook in the picture below) mainly due to salt block cooking. His specialty salts are rather expensive but when you taste them in a recipe the cost is worth it!

Mark has several books including the James Beard Award-winning Salted and the best-selling Salt Block Cooking which I have in my library collection. See my extensive post on salt block cooking.

https://themeadow.com/ is where this American food writer sells his finishing salts, chocolates, bitters, salt blocks, spices and cookbooks.

Blue Lavender Salt – flake sea salt crystals infused with natural lavender and aroma. Lavender is a beautiful scent but can be tricky to use with food. Its heavy camphor notes can overwhelm or make food taste decidedly unfoodlike. Excellent lavender salt fixes this, delivering elegant floral notes that entwine effortlessly with sweet and savory foods alike.

Lavender Tips:

  • when baking with dried lavender soak it in a few drops of whole milk for 30 minutes. This hydrates the lavender and aids in the distribution of the essential oil in your baked products.
  • when baking with fresh lavender use twice the amount you would if dried lavender
  • lean on the side of “less” as lavender can be very potent
  • lavender pairs well with strawberries, lemon, honey, rosemary and chocolate

Lavender Salted Lemon Blondies

  • non-stick spray
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1-1/4  cups ground unpeeled almonds
  • 1 cup sugar
  • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp. fleur de sel
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. Blue Lavender Flake Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square pan with non-stick spray.

Melt the butter halfway in a large heavy saucepan. Add the ground almonds and continue cooking, until the butter is completed melted, stirring constantly. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, fleur de sel and egg. Add the baking powder in pinches and continue to stir until combined. Add the flour and stir until there are no lumps. 

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle the lavender salt over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Cut into 16 (2-inch) squares. These will keep for up to 5 days in a closed container at room temperature. To freeze, wrap each cookie individually and freeze for up to 2 months.

Blue Lavender Salt can be used in salads, creme brulee, leg of lamb, goat cheese and in honey over tart stone fruit. I also found some other suggestions such as: it pairs well with white or dark chocolate (try a sprinkling on pudding, mousse, cake or fudge). mild shellfish, margaritas, lemony things, roast chicken, roast potatoes.

Should you want to make your own here is a very simple recipe but it is more of an ingredient versus a garnish!

Homemade Lavender Salt:

  • 2-1/2 tsp.  (1 tbsp.) dried lavender, minced
  • 1/2 cup fleur de sel or coarse salt

Grind together with a mortar and pestle, spice or coffee grinder. This will release the oils of the lavender which will transfer to the salt.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com 

11 thoughts on “Lavender Salted Lemon Blondies”

  2. Pingback: Lavender Salted Lemon Blondies — cookingwithauntjuju.com | homethoughtsfromabroad626

  5. I get very excited when I see Blondies appear on posts – they don’t seem to get as much airtime as their Brownie cousins. Your compositions are so lovely – so artistically & tastefully done. And those blondies do sure sounds deicious!

    Reply

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