Lavender – I love it. Old fashioned in look, delightful in scent, and 100% useful is so many ways.

I know I’ve done lots of posts using lavender in various ways, one of the simplest and tastiest is to use it to infuse sugar with this delicate floral scent and taste. Lavender is used a lot in cooking in the south of France, we tend to assosiate the plant more with bathing than cooking and we are missing a trick on that score.

Here is how to make lavender sugar

Take 10 heads of dried  lavender for half kilo of caster sugar and crumble them into the sugar. Store in a large jar with enough space for you to shake the sugar about a bit and make sure it’s well mixed. You can also zap the sugar and lavender in your food processor if you want.

Leave it for a week to mature and then use as a sweetener in delicate teas for a summer picnic or tea party. Bake with it in plain types of cakes and shortbread. Whip it into cream for a topping for puddings, or simply sprinkle it on strawberries and other yummy fruit.

Karon x