Grilling...desserts?!

The summer is almost upon us and I am so excited! I look forward to the summer every year; I live by the pool. Maybe I need to move away from the East Coast...at any rate, summer means many things, including grilling season. As a tribute to the grill, let's talk grilled desserts!

This isn't a new concept, by any means, but it's definitely one worth trying. In the summer heat, we tend to feel weighed down; less hungry. We want our desserts lighter and more delicate (unless, of course, you're ordering from Lizzy Bee's Bakery, as those desserts are fabulous year-round!). To accommodate this need, why not try grilling some fruits and light cakes on the old bbq? Get some firm but ripe stone fruits, such as nectarines, apricots, peaches, and plums (and throw some cherries in there too!), and prep them for the grill. This might mean macerating them in some citrus and olive oil, or perhaps just leaving them free of extra sugars. Cut them into thick slices and skewer them, but soak your skewers first, so they don't burn. Grill for 2-4 minutes over a medium high heat, turning once, until lightly charred on both sides.

If you're looking for a meatier portion, add some of your favorite poundcake, thickly sliced, and grill on a lightly oiled grill for about 2 minutes until toasted. Dollop on your favorite cool whip, whipped cream, or whipped mascarpone topping and you've got a deliciously elegant dessert. Best of all, it was quick and simple!

Happy baking!

Feeling my southern side

Hello everyone! How was your Memorial Day weekend? I had a relaxing time poolside and playing with recipes in the kitchen. I made myself and my fiance delicious homemade ravioli stuffed with fresh ricotta. It was tough work, but it came out nicely. I also wanted to test a new recipe I found for red velvet cake. Let me just say that red velvet has never been my favorite cake. I know, I know, everyone LOVES it, but I just feel like it's not really a chocolate cake, but it's not vanilla. It's a vanilla cake masquerading as a chocolate, if you will. This doesn't stop me from wanting to find the perfectest, moistest cake recipe ever! I found a southern cookbook who claimed to have the best so I wanted to see what made this cake so great. Well, we tried it for dessert last night and I have to admit it was pretty delish. It had a very creamy cream cheese frosting and a light yet fairly moist texture. I still haven't turned to the red velvety side of life, but I guess I can admit, I have a little more respect for it now!

Memorial day celebrations!

Hi all! Happy Memorial Day Weekend! First and foremost, I hope you're all thinking about why we have this weekend off. It's not just opening week for pools and beaches across the country! However, if you are appreciating the warm weather, dipping your toes into the cool water, and wearing lots of SPF while tanning under the hot sun (is it sunny where you are?), be sure to take the time to bake a dessert for your parties and BBQs!

In honor of the kick off of wearing white after Memorial Day, here are some delicious dessert recipes to keep your crowds oohing and aahing while partying by the tiki lamps:

Peach Streusel Cake
Food & Wine, Jan 2011

Ingredients:
Streusel:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Batter:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• One 10-ounce bag frozen peaches, coarsely chopped

Streusel

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Batter

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• One 10-ounce bag frozen peaches, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° and butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a bowl, using your fingers, combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Add the butter and mix until smooth. Add the pecans; press the mixture into clumps.
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time; beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until incorporated.
4. Spread two-thirds of the batter in the pan. Fold the peaches into the remaining batter and spoon into the pan. Scatter the streusel crumbs on top. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; loosely cover the cake with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.Transfer to a rack and cool for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely before serving.

Free-From Blueberry Tart
Food & Wine, August 2011

Ingredients:
Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon minced candied ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups blueberries
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 egg white, beaten

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the candied ginger and salt and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas. Sprinkle on the ice water and pulse just until the pastry starts to come together. Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until firm.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a 14-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the pastry in half and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Unfold the pastry and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix the 1/4 cup of sugar with the lemon zest and flour. Fold in the blueberries and lemon juice and let stand for 15 minutes.
4. Spoon the blueberries in the center of the pastry, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all around. Fold the pastry border up and over the blueberries, pleating it as necessary. Brush the egg white on the pastry and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 55 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the tart cool to warm. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead: The pastry can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.Serve WithLemon or vanilla ice cream.

 

 

Happy baking! Happy Memorial Day!

Pinteresting....

I've decided to set up a Pinterest page...it's a slow project. For now, here's the link: http://pinterest.com/lizzybeesbakery/. Happy baking!

Last weekend I received lots of cookie cutters for my bridal shower, and it got me thinking about cookies. I love, love, love to bake and eat cookies and I haven't had the chance to do so in awhile. The thing to remember about cookies that require cookie cutters is that they need time in the refrigerator after you mix the dough. The dough becomes very soft and therefore difficult to roll out, cut, and get onto a sheet tray You will end up with gingerbread men with squished heads or flowers with balls of petals. Some cookies can take a long time make because of the amount of down time between making and baking. However most cookies are well worth the effort! Here's one recipe that kicks plain rolled out cookies up a notch! Why not try these linzer tarts?

Blackberry Linzer Tarts
Michel Richard, Citrus
(From The New York Times)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup skinned pistachios
• 4 hard-boiled egg yolks
• 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup flour
• 6 ounces dried figs, preferably Mission figs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 6 1/2 -pints blackberries
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Place the sugar and pistachios in a food processor. Process until the pistachios are finely chopped.

2. Add the egg yolks, butter and cinnamon and process until smooth. Add a fifth of the flour and process with short pulses until mixed. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the remaining flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the flour is combined.

3. Gather up the dough into a compact ball. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk shape. Wrap in the plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

 

4. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/4-inch thick. (This dough is very fragile. It may be easier to place the dough directly on the cookie sheet and, with a sheet of plastic wrap between the dough and the rolling pin, roll it out.) Cut the dough into 5-inch circles, gather up the dough and reroll it for the remaining circles. Transfer the circles to the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until browned. Allow to cool before removing from the baking sheet.

 

6. Place the figs in a food processor and process until chopped. With the processor running, add the water and process until smooth. Spread the fig puree over the baked circles.

 

7. Arrange the blackberries, standing up, over the fig puree. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and transfer to dessert plates.

Yield: Six servings

Happy baking!

Varieties of buttercreams

Hello dear readers. So I've been thinking about buttercreams lately, and how there are so many different labels for buttercream, yet they all taste so different. Supermarkets will label buttercreams as frosting with a high content of butter and shortening, but my personal favorite kind of buttercream is the classic meringue, which is made from frothy egg whites and pounds of butter. Here are a few recipes to help you choose your favorite:

Decorator's Buttercream Icing
The Well-Decorated Cake by Toba Garrett

Ingredients:

2 cups (1 pound or 454 gram) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (230 gram) vegetable shortening or hi-ratio shortening

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract, pure vanilla extract, or almond extract

3 lbs (1.36 kilograms) 10X confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (4 1/2 fl ounces or 135 mililiter) water, milk, or clear liqueur

3 Tbsp meringue powder (see, Epicurious Editors' Notes)

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cream shortening and butter with an electric, handheld, or paddle-whip mixer. Add flavoring and salt. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. Add meringue powder. (The mixture will appear dry.)

2. Add liquid of choice and beat until light and fluffy (approximately 5 to 8 minutes). Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.

Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts (2.37 L)

MASTER CHEF'S HINT
Add extra liquid to soften the buttercream or extra 10X confectioners' sugar to stiffen it.

Epicurious Editors' Notes:• This recipe yields more than enough for two cakes—if icing only one cake, make a half recipe or freeze the extra.
• If using the icing to write on a cake, soften it with extra liquid. If using it to pipe roses, add extra confectioners' sugar.
• Meringue powder is available at wilton.com.

Vanilla Buttercream
Gourmet, January 2004

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites at room temperature for 30 minutes

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup water

1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine whites and salt in a very large bowl. Stir together water and 1 1/3 cups sugar in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil over moderate heat, without stirring, brushing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.

2. When syrup reaches a boil, start beating egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until frothy, then gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat at medium speed until whites just hold soft peaks. (Do not beat again until sugar syrup is ready.)

3. Meanwhile, put thermometer into sugar syrup and continue boiling until syrup registers 238 to 242°F. Immediately remove from heat and, with mixer at high speed, slowly pour hot syrup in a thin stream down side of bowl into whites, beating constantly. Beat, scraping down side of bowl with a rubber spatula, until meringue is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 with a handheld. (It is important that meringue is properly cooled before proceeding.)

4. With mixer at medium speed, gradually add butter 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated. (Buttercream will look soupy after some butter is added if meringue is still warm. If so, briefly chill bottom of bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water for a few seconds before continuing to beat in remaining butter.) Continue beating until buttercream is smooth. (Mixture may look curdled before all of butter is added but will come back together by the time beating is finished.) Add vanilla and beat 1 minute more.

Cooks' notes: ·Buttercream can be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered, or frozen 1 month. Bring to room temperature (this may take up to 3 hours; do not use a microwave) and beat with an electric mixer before using.
·The egg whites in this recipe are not cooked. If salmonella is a problem in your area, you can use reconstituted powdered egg whites such as Just Whites.


Swiss Meringue Buttercream
The Well-Decorated Cake by Toba Garrett

Ingredients:

12 oz (336 g) egg whites (10 large egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups)

3 cups (680 g) granulated sugar

3 lbs (1.36 kg) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 Tbsp lemon extract, almond extract, orange extract, or pure vanilla extract or up to 3 fl oz (90 ml) light rum, framboise, pear William, or kirsch

Directions:

1. Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg-white mixture is hot to touch or a candy thermometer reads 140°F (60°C).

2. Pour hot whites into a room-temperature bowl and whip with a wire whip until double in volume on MEDIUM-HIGH speed. When the mixer stops, the meringue should not move around in the bowl. Meanwhile cut up butter into 2-inch pieces. (The butter should be slightly moist on the outside but cold inside.)

3. On your mixer, remove the whip and attach the paddle. Add half the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) into the bowl immediately and pulsate the mixer several times until the meringue has covered the butter completely. To pulsate the mixer, turn it on and off in a jerky motion. This forces the butter on the top to the bottom of the bowl. Add the balance of the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) and pulsate mixer several times. Slowly increase the mixer's speed, starting with the lowest speed and increase the speed every 10 seconds until you reach a MEDIUM-HIGH speed.

4. Continue beating until the mixture begins to look light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Reduce speed to LOW. Add flavoring and continue to beat on LOW speed for 45 seconds. Then beat on MEDIUM-HIGH speed for an additional 45 to 60 seconds.

5. Leftover buttercream can be placed in plastic containers with lids and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely (several hours) and rewhip before using.

Note: In hot weather, use 2 lbs 10 ounces (1.19 kg) of butter and 6 ounces (710 g) of hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening is emulsified and contains water.

Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts (2.37 L)

Good luck with your test and happy baking! Be sure to send your questions to liz@lizzybeesbakery.com, leave a message here, post on my Facebook wall (www.facebook.com/lizzybeesbakery) or check out my website at www.lizzybeesbakery.com.

Post to come...

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, I haven't forgotten about you! I am working on a post, so you should expect it later this evening or tomorrow morning! Until then, happy baking!

Pie WITHOUT a fork?!

Hello dear readers! I've been working on consolidating some of my recipes into an online recipe box because at the moment, I still have stacks of magazines filled with delicious-looking recipes! As I was adding them online, I came across a recipe that looks fantastic for the summer (and happens to be from my soon-to-be wedding month). Have you ever heard of hand pies? These fantastic little individually served pies are easy to hold and are eaten without a knife and fork. Shocking. I know. I'm hoping to test these bad boys out when cherry and picnic seasons are upon us, though I bet you could substitute many different flavors of fruit. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

 

Cherry Hand Pies

Bon Appetit, July 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted, or about 12 ounces frozen pitted cherries, unthawed
• 2/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 14-ounce package all-butter puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed in refrigerator
• Flour (for dusting)
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar

Directions:

1. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to blend.

2. Combine fresh cherries and next 4 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherry juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture; bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

3. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 18x15" rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into nine 6x5" rectangles.

4. Whisk egg white and 1 tablespoon water in another small bowl for egg wash.

5. Working with 1 pastry rectangle at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Scoop 3 tablespoons cherry mixture onto one side; fold dough over filling so that short ends meet, forming a 5x3" packet. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in top of pie to vent. Place on prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining dough and filling.

6. Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with raw sugar. Chill for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake pastries until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Happy baking!

 

  

Healthy boost for baking

Since I love to bake (and eat) soooo much, I need to try to prevent the sugary consequences of a brownie in my belly. To do so, I like to mix up my breakfasts. This week I turned to my stack of magazines for help. I baked one of my favorite healthier muffins, which are delicious yet part of a balanced morning meal. With a glass of milk and a piece of fruit, one muffin makes for a hearty, quick breakfast! Here's the recipe:

Healthy Apple Streusel Muffins

(From Fitness Magazine)

Makes: 12 muffins
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 18 minutes

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup shredded apple with skin
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs with a fork; stir in buttermilk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture; stir until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in apple. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way.
3. In a small bowl, combine pecans, flaxseeds, and remaining brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spoon pecan mixture on top of muffin batter.
4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack 5 minutes; remove from cups.

Nutrition facts per muffin: 163 calories, 4g protein, 25g carbohydrate, 6g fat (1g saturated), 2g fiber

Healthy Baking Tips

Peel Deal: "The apple's skin packs extra fiber and antioxidants," says Kim Galeaz, RD, a culinary dietitian in Indianapolis.

Sweet Secret: Pecans and flaxseeds give the yummy cinnamon-streusel topping a heart-healthy, protein-packed crunch.

Dairy Lean: Buttermilk has a thick, creamy texture that's perfect for baking, even the low-fat kind, Galeaz says.

Oil Change: We slashed fat, not flavor, by using just two tablespoons of oil. Some recipes call for four times that much!


Can't wait to hear how yours go! Happy baking!

Morning smiles

I don't get to eat muffins often, but when I do I like to make sure it's a good one. I made brunch for my future mother-in-law, her friend, and my fiance and I decided that I needed to have muffins. Nothing makes me happier in the morning than a deliciously fresh and lemony lemon poppy seed muffins with TONS of poppy seeds and sweet glaze. My go-to recipe is from one of the first pastry cookbooks I'd ever purchased...Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Here's the recipe:

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Dorie Greenspan
(She says it makes 12 muffins, but I can usually get 12 muffins plus about 8 mini muffins)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 C sugar
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 C sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp pur vanilla extract
• 1 stick (8T) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 T poppy seeds

Icing:

• 1 C confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2-3 T fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the muffin tins or fit with paper muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon strong.  
3. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being thorough - a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter.
5. Stir in the poppy seeds. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
7. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Cool the muffins completely on rack before icing.

Icing Directions:

1. Put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and add about 1 1/2 T lemon juice.
2. Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar, then add enough additional lemon juice, a dribble at a time, to get an icing that is thin enough to drizzle from teh tip of the spoon.
3. You can then drizzle lines of icing over the tops of the muffins or coat the tops entirely.

Morning comforts

Hi all! Yesterday I had another very successful cooking class with my lovely students...we're doing 7 weeks of healthy versions of breakfast foods. We made the French toast recipe I shared with you a few weeks ago. For my final class, I think I'm going to surprise them with a healthy take on a dessert French toast! Shhh...don't tell them. This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger, a fabulous cookbook author who creates delicious recipes with half the calories and fat. Here's a sneak peek of that recipe:

Healthy French Toast

Ingredients

·         Challah, sliced 1 inch thick

·         3 eggs

·         ½ cup skim milk

·         ½ teaspoon cinnamon

·         ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

·         ¼ teaspoon vanilla

·         Cooking spray

·         Powdered sugar

·         Sugar free syrup

·         Fresh berries

Directions

1.      Crack eggs and separate whites from yolks. You only need the whites so you can throw out the yolks or ask your mom or dad if they need them for another recipe.

2.      Put the whites in a shallow bowl and add milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

3.      You can use a cookie cutter and cut into 2 slices of bread. Keep shapes close to each other to cut as many as possible.

4.      Coat a large griddle or pan with cooking spray and heat up over medium heat.

5.      Quickly dip bread into your egg white mixture using a fork, one side for 2-3 seconds, then the other.

6.      Pull the bread out of the egg and put into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Use a spatula to flip to the other side.

7.      Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with syrup and berries.

Happy baking!

Spring blooms

As the months change from April showers (or draughts I suppose) to May flowers, I like to think of ways to stay in the season. For the adventurous amongst you, here's a great opportunity to try some new flavors. In keeping with a theme of flowers, try baking cookies using rose or lavender. These are very distinct tastes and I must admit, don't appeal to everyone. However if you're interested, check this out:

Lavender and Lemon Cookies
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
• 1 large lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, pulse together the flours, arrowroot, sugar, lavender, salt and baking soda.
3. Add the butter and lemon zest. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse meal.
4. Add the honey and lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture forms a soft dough.
5. Form the dough into 1-inch round balls and press into discs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick.
6. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake until light brown around the edges, 9 to 11 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
8. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Happy baking!