Honey Lavender Drop and Lavender Creme Brulee

Spring has finally sprung! The sun is finally shining, and the flowers are blooming. Something that excites me most about spring, especially in Seattle, is how delicate the season really is. Flowers only bloom for so long, the coolness turns to heat, and the spring scents get overtaken by summer grass. When thinking of how delicate the season is, we wanted to experiment with a flavor that we needed to use oh-so delicately.

Welcome: lavender. 

This wonderfully pungent flower must be used so delicately, or it’s perfume overpowers any meal.

When Monique said she had the perfect honey-lavender-lemony cocktail, it made me want to sip it on a patio while eating something sweet. 

Welcome: lavender crème brulee. 

Enjoy this refreshing cocktail while cracking the honey-torched topping of your crème brulee and you are in for might I say delightfully delicate afternoon.

xoxo

Sarah and Mo

Grocery List

4 cups Heavy Cream

3 tablespoons dried lavender

1 whole Vanilla Bean OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Paste

10 whole Egg Yolks

3/4 cups Sugar

6 Tablespoons Superfine (Baker's) Sugar

3 lemons

Gin

Honey

Dried lavender (3 tablespoons)

Lavender Lemon Drop

Serves: 2  

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

3 Lemons - juiced

1/4 Cup Honey

3 Tablespoons dried Lavender (can be found in the tea or bulk section in most stores)

1/4 Cup Gin

First, make the honey lavender syrup.  Combine water and honey in a small pot and bring to a boil. Immediately turn it down to a simmer and add the dried lavender. Let lavender steep for one minute on simmer and then take off heat.  Allow the syrup to cool for about 10 minutes. Strain syrup into a container, removing the dried lavender. 

Now, on to the drink! Combine equal parts (1/3 cup of each) lavender/honey syrup, lemon juice and Gin. Stir together and pour over ice.  I love using crushed ice -- it makes the drink feel fancy. 

Optional: Garnish with a lemon wedge and a splash of club soda! 

Lavender Crème Brulee 
  

4 cups Heavy Cream

3 tablespoons dried lavender

1 whole Vanilla Bean OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Paste

10 whole Egg Yolks

3/4 cups Sugar

6 Tablespoons Superfine (Baker's) Sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour the cream into the saucepan. Add vanilla (whichever product you're using) and simmer over medium-low heat.

Whip egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and thick.

Strain cream using a fine mesh strainer.

Whip yolks while you very slowly drizzle in 1 cup of warm cream. Go very slowly so as not to cook the eggs! Once the first cup is added, you can add the rest of the cream slowly.

Place ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet. Pour custard mixture into ramekins. Pour water in bottom of baking sheet until it comes halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until just set. Do not allow to get brown.

Cool ramekins on countertop, then chill for at least 2-3 hours, covered in plastic wrap.

To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon over each ramekin of custard. Use a kitchen torch to quickly (but carefully) brown the sugar. There should be a thin, crisp surface of burned sugar on the top.

Enjoy for dessert or breakfast ;)

Shout out to our very sweet and talented friend Sarah Kaiser for these amazing photos that makes us want to sprint into the kitchen and make this recipe all over again! We love you <3