Hazelnut-Lavender-Coconut Granola

(I'm not sure why the font is so small all of a sudden... it is not a different size than any of my other posts :/. Blogger just likes to give me trouble, I suppose.)


Okay guys, this will be the last lavender recipe for a while, promise (though, if you love lavender as much as me that may not be such a good thing?)!

Let me just start off by stating the facts: this is the one of the best tasting and smelling granolas (with a serious emphasis on "smelling"- man my house smelled GREAT) in the whole wide world and if you think otherwise I'd have to say that you are positively crazy. With that said, you certainly have to like lavender and coconut to like this granola :).

Honestly though, it even beats my old favorite, Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola, by a landslide. I suppose I could be extremely biased considering two of my very favorite flavors are lavender and coconut, but even Mikey-- who is not a granola-person mind you-- found it to be addictively scrumptious (side note: Firefox tells me "addictively" is not a word, but I could have sworn it was and will continue to go on pretending that it is).

Coconut and lavender seem like a less than desirable match, but they work unexpectedly well together! (I imagine that a lavender-coconut quick bread would be quite amazing.) The Meyer lemon's flavor is extremely subtle in this granola, but noticeable enough to freshen things up a bit. I love the delicious nuttiness the hazelnuts add, and the crunchy buckwheat kernels bring in lots of texture. Basically, I adore every component of this granola.

If you don't try either of the other two lavender recipes I've posted recently, I implore you to try this one! Because as a granola-lover, this one is just perfect for me, and I hope that you will find it to be more than acceptable for you as well!

By the way: Recently I posted an "About Me" page (which can be found at the very top of each page) and I was curious to know if there were any other questions you would like answered on the page. Please post any suggestions in the comments, thanks!

Hazelnut-Lavender-Coconut Granola

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut butter (you could use coconut oil instead, it just won't be as coconut-y)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp culinary lavender

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, buckwheat, coconut, hazelnuts, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small sauce pan, melt together the honey, coconut butter, and lavender over low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the oats, etc. and stir to fully coat. Pour the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out into an even, thin layer.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the granola has reached your desired level of golden-brown (I like mine a little more on the extra-toasty side), stirring every 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before storing.

Lavender-Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart

Yep, another lavender recipe! And I have another one on the way! I guess you could say I'm somewhat infatuated with the perfume-y flower at the moment, but I think there is something about it that is just perfect for the holidays! It's taste and aroma remind me of rosemary and pine trees, yet a bit more unique with its extra floral note.

I imagine this tart would be positively delicious paired with some vanilla bean ice cream, but it is quite tasty all on its own. The chocolate-y lavender filling is super creamy and decadent, and the salt on top brings the flavors over the top.

What I love most about this tart is the way it fills your home with the rich scent of cardamom as the crust bakes, and the soothing aroma of lavender as the cream steeps.

Since the filling is so rich, it only takes a small slice to satisfy. I found that the extra ganache that I had leftover was absolutely scrumptious with my Salted Honey Lavender Shortbread; just dip half of a square in and enjoy!

Lavender-Cardamom-Dark Chocolate Tart

recipe from here

The recipe states that it makes 1 9" tart or an equivalent rectangular tart, but I suppose my tart pan wasn't quite big enough as I found the crust to be a bit thick and I had quit a bit of ganache left over.

ingredients:

for pastry:

• 260g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cardamom (I used whole cardamom that I ground with a mortar and pestle)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated Meyer lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water, chilled

for ganache filling:

• 10 oz. heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup culinary lavender + more to top
• 12 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• coarse sea salt

pastry:

1. Using a food processor, pulse together the flour, cardamom, lemon zest, salt, and sugar until combined. Add in the butter and pulse until the mixture has the texture of small peas.
2. Add in the egg yolk and then slowly add in the water/lemon juice just until the dough begins to form when pressed between two fingers.
3. Form the pastry into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour or stick it n the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
5. Press the pastry dough firmly into the tart pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the dough and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Return to the freezer for just a few minutes so the dough can harden up a bit again.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the crust has turned golden brown all over. Remove from oven and let cool.

filling:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and lavender buds to a simmer. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to steep for 10-20 minutes.
2. Place the chopped chocolate and honey in a large bowl and place a fine mesh strainer on top. Set aside.
3. Add the butter to the cream and lavender and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream mixture through the sieve over the chocolate/honey. Be sure to press out all of the liquid from the lavender buds.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth. Immediately pour into the prepared crust.
5. In a mortar and pestle, rub together an equal amount of sea salt and lavender and sprinkle over the chocolate.
6. Allow the tart to set at room temperature fora couple of hours until completely cool. Serve at room temperature.

Salted Honey Lavender Shortbread

It's no secret that I love shortbread....

Pine Nut Rosemary Shortbread

Pumpkin Shortbread

Apple and Carrot Shortbread

Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread

... but I also adore salty sweets and recently received a bunch of culinary lavender for my birthday (considering my birthday was at the end of September I guess it's not so recent but I just got around to using it haha), so when I came across these shortbread squares it's safe to say I was absolutely smitten.

These cookies are buttery, salty, perfectly crumbly but not overly messy, and infused with a wonderful lavender flavor without being too floral-y of perfume-y. They make a beautiful dessert with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, or a great afternoon snack with a cup of piping hot tea :).

As an avid shortbread fan, these cookies are some of the best I have ever had (and let me tell you I've had quite a few varieties)! Not to mention the fact that these cookies are extremely simple to make thanks to the fact that you just press all of the dough into a pan and then cut them after they are baked. It also makes for easy clean-up considering you only really dirty your mixing bowl and baking tin!

Salted Honey Lavender Shortbread

recipe from here

makes 16 cookie bars

ingredients:

• 7 1/4 ounces (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 2 1/4 ounces (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp culinary lavender
• 6 1/2 ounces (3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp sea salt + more to top the cookies (I used Cyprus Flake Sea Salt which is pyramid-shaped, but any flaky salt would work i.e. fleur de sel)
• 3 tbsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8"x8"baking tin with butter or non-stick spray. Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper as well (make sure there is enough overhang of the parchment paper so that you can easily lift the cookies out of the tin). Set aside.
2. (This step is optional but I find it distributes the lavender better.) In a food processor whir together the sugar and lavender for about a minute until the lavender buds are chopped and distributed throughout the sugar and the sugar has a purple hue (careful, it gets quite powdery).
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all of the ingredients and mix in low speed until combined (it's fine if the dough is crumbly).
4. Press the dough into the prepared tin. With a fork, poke the surface of the dough all over.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and the cookies feel firm when lightly pressed mine baked for 30 minutes).
6. After you remove to cookies from the oven, sprinkle the tops with sea salt. Allow to fully cool in the pan before removing and slicing into 16 equal squares.