Lavender teacakes are a gardener’s treat

These lovely lavender teacakes take advantage of the herb’s sweet old-fashioned scent.

I’m always looking for ways to use the herbs and flowers that grow in my garden and this recipe for teacakes is a perfect combination of lavender buds and dried rose petals.

Reta’s Lavender Teacakes appeared in the April-June 2009 edition of the Pueblo Herb Society’s newsletter called The Thymes.

Reta Zane, a charter member of the herb society, wrote a Featured Herb column about lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and she included this recipe that uses two ingredients that are especially plentiful in my garden right now.

I baked a batch yesterday and have to say they smelled heavenly while they were baking. The subtle scent of lavender filled the kitchen and I couldn’t wait to taste them.

Not only are they pretty to look at with the lavender and rose petals peeking through, but they’re melt-in-your mouth delicious.

Reta’s Lavender Teacakes

Ingredients

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped almonds
Scant tablespoon lavender buds
1 teaspoon dried rose petals
Fresh ground nutmeg to taste (I used 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream together butter, sugar and almond flavoring.
3. Add flour, salt, almonds, lavender, rose petals and nutmeg.
4. Mix well.
5. Roll dough into 1″ balls.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 9-10 minutes.
8. Roll in additional confectioner’s sugar while still warm.

This recipe makes about 48 teacakes, but you may want to double the recipe because they won’t stay around for long.

How do you use the lavender growing in your garden? Please post your ideas by writing a comment here.

 

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.