This month’s “Savor Cooks” recipe features lavender. Try our recipe for Lavender Simple Syrup and use it to sweeten beverages or yogurt.
Culinary lavender can be blended or ground with sugar or cooked and infused into simple syrup. Those are two easy ways to add a floral note to a sweet recipe. Start with a ratio of one tablespoon of lavender to one cup of sugar.
Lavender sugar is nice to have around for baking (think shortbread or butter cookies or scones) or sweetening hot beverages.
Lavender simple syrup can be used to sweeten cold or hot drinks, plain yogurt or whipped cream.
Don’t forget to check out our Food of the Month post on lavender.
Recipe
Once you have lavender simple syrup on-hand in the refrigerator, you can start by making lavender lattes, and then move onto lavender lemonade, lavender soda (seltzer water + lavender simple syrup), or add it to your favorite cocktail or mocktail.
If you like your latte less sweet, use just 1 teaspoon of lavender simple syrup. If you prefer a sweeter taste, use 3 teaspoons (which is the same as 1 tablespoon) of lavender simple syrup.
The latte recipe can also be made with tea (black or matcha teas work well), iced coffee or tea drinks, or decaffeinated coffee or espresso.
- 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder + 6-8 fl oz boiling water (or, 1 cup brewed coffee)
- 2 teaspoons lavender simple syrup
- Make the simple syrup: Place lavender, sugar and water in a small pot on the stovetop. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat to low and simmer for an additional five minutes. Turn off the heat and let the lavender steep in the syrup, ideally for at least an hour.
- Strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar or plastic quart container. Let cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator.
- Make the latte: Warm the milk to desired temperature either on the stovetop (usually on medium heat until bubbles just start to form around the edges of the pot) or in the microwave (for about 40-60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds).
- Froth the milk until foamy using a hand pump frother, a French press, a jar with a lid (shake vigorously), a whisk, or a blender.
- In a large mug, stir the simple syrup into the hot espresso with water or the brewed coffee. Pour in the frothed milk.
