French Lavender & Meyer Lemon Shortbread

I have a really simple and properly made shortbread that can be vegan substituted. I always suggest imported butter. Butter from France tastes nothing like what I am used to in the United States. If you want to veganize it, I used Earth Balance buttery spread. (not an advert). I've used it before though for this recipe and it was really good.

My grandfather taught me how to make shortbread using a clay mold when I was a young girl. I know many clay molds are considered unsafe due to potential lead, so please make sure your clay mold/pot is from a reliable source.  He was so famous for his shortbread, and my other side of the family always raved about it. One day I asked him how he made it. It was the most simple, rustic process I had ever come across he learned in  Scotland. (where he met my grandmother during WWII) I have been making it ever since.


Ingredients: 
Equal parts flour, sugar, & butter.  
+ Vanilla 


My grandfather started out by creaming 3/4 butter and sugar, and adding in vanilla. He took his remaining butter which was cold, and worked it into the flour. Then gently folded everything together. I added French lavender and the zest of a Meyer lemon to mine. Since these aromatics are very light in weight, and potent in flavor, you only need a little bit, and it will not weigh down your shortbread. 


Add into muffin tins and bake in a preheated oven at 300 F (149 C) until the edges are golden. I am sure some passionate pastry chef will see this as a bastardization, but honestly, not everything is so technical. 


My intention in posting a simple recipe really isn't to make life easier on anyone. It's to showcase the beauty of old world baking and cooking, and share a part of my own family history that is meaningful to me. 


Why did you use soy cold pressed butter? I came up with this variation when I was suffering from some complications and cut animal fat out of my diet. I really love Earth Balance as a substitute for people who do not, or cannot eat real butter. I'll NEVER use margarine. BLEH! I'm not advertising for Earth Balance. If I were, I'd let you know at the beginning of the post! Earth Balance works as a substitute, and doesn't taste like something died in your mouth. Margarine rarely works due to it's properties and grossness. 


Why French Lavender? What is it? I know some of you, like I naturally would, have lavender of some sort in your garden and are getting excited. French lavender is used in cooking because it is very light & mild. Spanish lavender, is dark, puffy, and tastes like perfume. (please don't ask me how I know this. I don't want to talk about it.) 

French Lavender. Lighter in color, and in fragrance. Quicker to dry out for baking, & cooking.

Fresh, gently washed sprigs are also GREAT for lemonade!

Spanish Lavender. Darker in color, much more fragrant, and most commonly used in essential oil form, and for bath salts/candles.

Not suitable in cooking.







What the heck is a Meyer lemon? Okay, so by all means, if you can't come across Meyer lemons, do use what you have. Lemons are amazing in all forms. Meyer lemons just have a sweeter aroma and taste. Less pungent and sharp. They're amazing lemons, but use what you have. 

Left is a Meyer Lemon. Right, is a Eureka lemon. Notice the difference? The skin on the Meyer lemon is so smooth too. It smells amazing. I use them as often as I can. I grew up picking these lemons off of my neighbors trees... yea, I was that kid. I always wondered why those lemons were different than the ones at the grocery store. Nostalgia!

Photo Credit: Former Chef




So, there ya have it! A little bit of my childhood too, which I didn't expect to talk about. That's the beauty of writing. It just flows out. Let that be the same way with cooking.

Remember, food can inspire you beyond the pan and plate if you want it to.

Amber~

Please check out SSAB's Facebook page. I post tons of really cool things there that I don't feature on my blog. Everything from food trivia, or really cool art inspired by food, or even made with food!

Lemonade

Hey everyone! I know it seems kind of silly to blog about how to make lemonade. Honestly though, I remember failed attempts before I knew the wonders of simple syrup, and before I realized that lemonade needs lemons and water. Years ago, I sadly squeezed the shit out of a billion lemons and mixed in sugar and thought, "BOOM! Done!" That was a disaster... 

My kids and I made some lemonade today, along with some experiments. I was inspired to blog about it and share with you guys.  We learned why we (as in ME) should make simple syrup instead of mixing, or shaking in sugar. This was a really fun project. So simple, and such a good memory. I love fun projects like this to share with my kids. I do not allow my kids to be near the cooking process when using sugar. Even though a simple syrup does not need to be at 212 degrees F/100C (boiling point) it is still dangerous. I allowed my kids to measure out the sugar and water (always a 1:1 ratio). For example: 1 cup of water & 1 cup of granulated sugar/ 2 cups & 2 cups etc.  

Do not allow children in your kitchen when cooking sugar. 

Ingredients:

For Simple Syrup: 1 cup sugar (granulated or raw not powdered) & 1 cup water

4 Cups Water (Bottled or filtered preferred) 

1 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

Add your simple syrup ingredients to a small pot. 1 cup of water and 1 cup sugar. Stir gently, and add to a very low heat setting on your stove. This does not need to ridiculously reduce for this recipe. It just needs to heat up, and sugar should be dissolved completely. Set aside and let cool. It will not thicken up like a caramel. It isn't even close to that stage. 

If you're using fresh lemons, make sure all seeds are discarded. Combine everything together once simple syrup is cooled down (about 10 minutes or so) and enjoy! 

Why Simple Syrup? Why Can't I just add sugar? 

We make a simple syrup when sweetening any drinks such as cocktails, sweet teas, etc. No mater how long or quickly you shake or stir in sugar, it won't completely dissolve. This is the experiment I showed my kids today:

I mean, I admit, as a kid, this was awesome at the bottom of my cereal bowl. (yea I was one of those kids who snowed my Cheerios in sugar) My kids do not even know such an idea exists *crosses fingers* 

So there you have it. If you want to class up your lemonade, I suggest adding things like, a sprig or two of fresh French lavender. (French lavender is light in color and not potent like the darker version (Spanish lavender). You could use that if you wish, but don't use more than one sprig per gallon. Yes... I know this from experience. 

You could also add fresh basil leaves, and or fresh basil leaves and watermelon juice, omitting the 4 cups of water. You could use Meyer lemons if available in your area. They are darker in color, and have a slight different taste and aroma. Almost like an essential oil potency which is really gorgeous. I didn't use Meyer today. 

Meyer lemons are to the left. 

So many possibilities. That's one of the beautiful things about simplicity. You can leave it alone in it's pure state, or you can be inspired. 

Enjoy! 

Amber~