Lavender Shortbread with Lemon Zest

I guess this would be part two of my borderline obsessive compulsive cooking with lavender day..... at least my house smells like heaven.

So, as I mentioned in my last post.... Richard is in Palm Springs for his bachelor party this weekend. Humphh. Now... I am all for a weekend getaway that leaves you in a hungover bliss for days on end and gives you an excuse to party like you're in college. I mean, let's be honest here... I am no stranger to some booze induced shenanigans. However, the idea of "one last hoorah" as a single guy (or girl) before you tie the knot seems a little silly to me. Last time I checked- bachelors and bachelorettes are not exactly single! Am I right, here? Buuuuut on the other hand.....I am fully enjoying the photos of compromising situations and questionable body parts that have been being texted to me by multiple parties (haha) annnnnd I'm not going to deny that I am a little curious to hear what the hell kind of strippers these boys were able to muster up in Palm Springs..... good luck boys ;)

Ok... so back to my wild day of baking and ice cream making....
Shortbread has to be one of my all time favorite cookies. It is a blank canvas for any flavor you could imagine to add to it, and it is delicious on its own. I love it.... and this particular recipe is fantastic.

 Lavender Shortbread with Lemon Zest

Ingredients

1/3 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender blossoms, chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup all purpose, unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, lavender, and lemon zest. Add the butter and mix with a hand mixer. Once mixed, add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. 

Refrigerate the dough for about half an hour. Then, remove from the fridge, roll into a log, and chill for another 45 minutes to an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the shortbread dough into half inch rounds. 

Bake the shortbread cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. 

Makes about 1 dozen cookies. 

Lavender and Honey Ice Cream.

Rich is away for his bachelor party, leaving me all alone for the weekend.....

I LOVE this. Don't get me wrong- I love living with Richard, obviously, but a little girly alone time is not something to be taken for granted! I have a very busy schedule of pedicures, shopping, puppy cuddling, and movie watching (rom-coms, of course) ahead of me this weekend. With only a little more than 5 weeks until our wedding, I am really looking forward to not doing one productive thing for 4 whole days! This morning, however, I began my first solo day in the best possible way with a one on one baking lesson from one of the most amazing southern exports living in Los Angeles.

Ms. Kathy Emerson, owner of La Weekend baked goods, is hands down the best baker I have ever met... not too mention one of the coolest women of all time. I met Kathy a few weeks ago at a wine tasting at Domaine LA Wine Shop where she was featuring some of her amazing southern baked goods. After expressing my love for southern food (and after indulging in a slice of buttermilk pie...or three) she offered to take me under her wing and teach me a thing or two. So, I showed up to her adorable loft this morning and was schooled in pie making, recipes, and lumples. Ohhhh lumples. A cross between a scone and a biscuit, lumples are my favorite new treat. It is taking every bit of will power I have to not eat the whole batch that is taunting me from the next room. D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.

Lavender and Blueberry Lumples.

Yes, Lavender. Let's talk about lavender for a moment.....

I know I have expressed my undying affection for it several times, but let's just make sure we are clear one more time.... I LOVE LAVENDER. 

I love them smell, the color, the taste.... all of it. I have found every way possible to incorporate it into our wedding, our house, and my cooking. I just can't get enough. 

Kathy, being the doll that she is, sent me home today with a jar of culinary lavender from North Carolina. 

Me, being the crazy person that I am, decided to go ahead and really put it to use. I may have gone a bit over board........

On the menu? Lavender and honey ice cream and lavender shortbread with lemon zest. 

I posted a recipe for Lavender ice cream a few months ago, but today I decided to step it up a notch and try a new recipe. Ice cream traditionally has eggs in it, but for the sake of ease (and calories) I usually leave the egg out when I make ice cream at home. Leaving the egg out creates a lighter, healthier frozen treat which is usually ideal for me.  However, having the house to myself today seemed like the perfect time to experiment a bit. 

Lavender and Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

3 Tablespoons culinary lavender buds

1/3 cup honey

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine lavender, honey and whole milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Then strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve and discard the lavender buds. Set the milk aside. 

Combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together for about 3 minutes until the eggs become thick and pale. 

Return the milk mixture to the stovetop and bring to a simmer over low-medium heat. Very slowly add a little of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Keep adding the hot milk until you have added half. Then stir the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk and continue to cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened a bit...enough to coat the back of a spoon. This process is called tempering.... and be sure to do it carefully or else you will end up with a bowl full of hot milk and scrambled eggs.

Once thickened, remove the mixture from heat and strain it one more time. Place mixture in an ice bath or in the refrigerator until chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. 

Enjoy... I know I will!!