Herbal Tea Cookies - Weekend Recipe

Log cookies are the easiest to make, and you can make them in advance and freeze the dough and just thaw and cut them when you want or need them. Herb flowers, herb teas and herb butters or herb flavored sugars allow you to make the recipe different every time. 

Herbal Tea Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons finely ground floral tea (can be all edible flowers or a flower and black tea blend)  

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Paper towel tubes (for the freezing process) 

Directions:

Whisk flour, tea and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Put butter, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined. Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Transfer in parchment to paper towel tubes; freeze until firm, 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Cajun And Creole

May 2019 - Seafood Recipes

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

Making Sugared Flowers

Something else to do with Edible Flowers is to enjoy them as a decoration on cakes, cookies, or garnish on a beverage, be it tea or cocktail. A candied or sugared flower is great to preserve the lovely spring flowers like violas or pansies which proliferate the gardens this time of year.  So grab a few and try this out.  Share your photos here or on Facebook.

Sugared flowers (Candied)

1 large egg white

1 teaspoon water

72 pesticide-free edible flowers, such as pansies and violas, stems removed

Superfine sugar, for sprinkling

Whisk egg white with water in a small bowl. Working with 1 flower at a time and holding it with tweezers, brush egg wash over entire surface of flower using a small paintbrush. Sprinkle with sugar. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment to crisp flowers. Let stand at room temperature overnight. 

NOTE: Sugared flowers can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 months.

RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Cajun And Creole

May 2019 - Seafood Recipes

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

Winter Rose petal Salad with Orange Vinaigrette - Weekend Recipe

The Chicago Flower and Garden Show includes my program on Edible Flowers today around Noon, so I thought I would share with you a great salad that you can make for your weekend.  Celebrate Spring is here and that flowers will soon be blooming, assuming it every stays warm!!

Wish me luck in Chicago and enjoy this recipe.

Zuzu’s Petals Winter Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Orange Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for vegan)

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Salad:

petals from 4 large roses, washed and torn

4 cups fresh green leaf lettuce, shredded

1 medium ripe avocado, sliced

1 large gala apple, cored and sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup pomegranate arils

1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

Orange Vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar with tightly fitting lid and shake well. If not using immediately, store in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake well before serving.

Salad: Toss ingredients together in a large bowl and drizzle with desired amount of orange vinaigrette then pour into a serving dish with salad tongs. Alternatively, for a prettier plate, divide and layer the ingredients between 4 to 6 plates and serve with dressing on the side.

Serves 4 to 6

RECIPE THEME:

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Cajun And Creole

May 2019 - Seafood Recipes

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes

September 2019 - Quiche

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails

How Tuesday - Making Lavender Infused Brownies

My recent edible flowers program talked about using lavender in both savory and sweet edible dishes.  One of the most popular flavored items was Lavender Infused Brownies.  The flavor of the lavender is infused into these in two different ways.  You can make them in a pan, but I recommend making them in mini muffin cups so you can share them or freeze them for later.

How to Make Lavender Infused Brownies

Step 1 - you can use an herbal sugar one of two ways.  Blend 1/3 cup lavender and 3 cups sugar in a blender and pulse until the lavender is pulverized and has imparted its scent to the sugar (about 2 to 3 minutes.)  You can also make the sugar in advance by layering granulates sugar with 1/4 cup lavender buds in alternating layers with about 2 cups of sugar and allow to infuse the scent and flavor gradually over a week to two weeks.  Sift out the lavender and used the infused sugar to create this recipe.

Step 2 - gather your ingredients.

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

3 tsp lavender flowers (dried)

1 cup cocoa powder

2 cups herbal or regular sugar (lavender sugar is amazing in this!)

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Optional 1 cup chopped nuts 

Step 3 -- Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Either line bottom and sides of 9x12 baking pan with parchment or line mini muffin tins with papers. 

Step 4 -- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Step 5 -- Melt the butter in a small pot over very low heat. When melted, add the lavender flowers. Stir gently to cover all flowers. On very low heat, allow the flowers to impart their flavor into the butter.

 

After about 8 minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Strain the butter into a medium sized bowl, removing the lavender. 

Step 6 -- Stir in the cocoa. 

Step 7 -- Blend in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Step 8 -- Add the dry ingredients (and nuts if you decide to use.) 

Step 9 -- Blend all together and spoon into the mini muffin tins (or the 9 x 12 pan)  

To make it easier to fill mini muffin tins, I recommend putting the batter inside a 1 quart zip lock bag and snipping off the corner and piping the batter into the cups.  Fill about 2/3 full as brownies do not puff like cupcakes.

Fill about 2/3 full as brownies do not puff like cupcakes.

Step 10 -- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes for the small bites (or 30-35 for larger pan.) 

Makes about 45 mini muffins. Keep in a lidded container for about 7 to 10 days.  They freeze well of you drop them into a zip seal bag.  Each mini is abut two bites and the perfect little treat.  The explosion of lavender scent and flavor as you bite into them is a wonder!