Fresh and dried herbs lend a subtle yet distinctive flavor to so many dishes, both sweet and savory. You’ve probably used at least a few in your own kitchen, with rosemary, mint, basil and oregano being the most common.
But one of my very favorite herbs is lavender. Dried lavender imparts the most lovely flavor and aroma to almost any baked good.
Look for culinary-grade lavender (available online and in specialty food stores), as it is specially harvested and packaged for cooking, and contains no pesticides or other harmful ingredients. Because lavender has a very strong flavor, use it sparingly—a little goes a long way!
I love to make floral sugars, and since lavender pairs beautifully with lemon, I created a lavender-lemon sugar to use in these pretty (and easy!) four-ingredient palmiers!
Store-bought puff pastry makes fast work of these classic cookies, which look smashing on a dessert plate.
You'll have some leftover sugar, which I'm sure you'll find many uses for! Add it to muffins or scones, sweeten your iced tea (or lemonade) or whip up some pretty herbed butter.
Photos by Sheri Silver
