Decadent Lavender Brownies

There are countless ideas for celebrating 'Aphrodite' and the festival of St. Valentine. Many foods and herbs have a reputation for enhancing libido and setting a romantic mood!  We don't need to wait for Feb 14 to make this fabulous recipe! I can't wait to share these yummy  decadent lavender brownies (infused with cocoa) with you! This decadent snack or dessert is sure to tease a playful mood. Many thanks to fellow herbalist John Redden (rest in peace), for the inspiration! These delightful bites are precious and delectable all year long ~~ Initially posted for Feb14th but really...?

Don't we deserve to treat each other with decadent yummy goodness, more often?

We can and do infuse herbs into water to make tea, or tisane as some call it. We can soak in various vinegars to make tasty flavoured vinegars. We can infuse in different alcohols to make tinctures and liqueurs. Honey is a favourite of mine! Check out this lavender in honey recipe here  and I love to make a refreshing lavender lemonade in warm weather, recipe here.

Why not infuse herbs in butter?
That is just what this recipe is all about. Grass-fed unsalted butter infused with lavender and popped into a brownie recipe.  I thought I'd use the one right off the Fry's Cocoa container ~ and change it up a bit for a healthier version. The idea of the '2 bite brownie' is perfect for me. I like to savour these and 2 bites is perfect. (no pun intended, I am a 'savoury' as opposed to a 'sweets' fanatic)

 Decadent Lavender Brownies recipe:

Hope you try it and fall in love with it and your 'person' all over again!

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Decadent Lavender Brownies infused with Cocoa

Lavender marries Cocoa and lives happily ever after! This idea came from chats with herbalist John Redden in Toronto. (always inspiring!)

Course Dessert

Ingredients

• 11/3 cups all purpose flour I used Bob's Mill GF flour mixture
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup grass fed unsalted butter
• 3 teaspoon lavender flowers dried
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup organic sugar I used 1 cup of coconut sugar
• 4 eggs I used 3 farm fresh eggs
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla I used my favourite Mexican vanilla
• Optional 1 cup chopped nuts - I have omitted the nuts.

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F
2. Either line bottom and sides of 8x8 baking pan with parchment or
3. Grease small muffin tins with coconut oil or a little butter
4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside
5. Melt the butter in a small pot over very low heat.
6. When melted, add the lavender flowers. Stir gently to cover all flowers.
7. On very low heat, allow the flowers to impart their flavour into the butter.
8. After about 8 minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Strain the butter into a medium sized bowl.
9. Stir in the cocoa. Blend in the sugar, eggs and vanilla.
10. Add the dry ingredients (and nuts if you decide to use)
11. Blend all together and spoon into the muffin tins (or the 8x8 pan)
12. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes for the small bites (or 30-35 for larger pan)

Recipe Notes

Suggest allowing to completely cool before removing from the small muffin tins.
I put mine in the fridge after cooled to room temperature to ensure that they came out easily.
The idea of infusing melted butter ~ why not try ginger ? Sky is the limit!

These decadent lavender brownies infused with cocoa are adapted from from The FRY Cocoa tin. Original recipe calls for 2 cups sugar but I used 1 cup and found these to be delightful!

Here's to infusing lavender into life !
Cocoa + Lavender together = delicious!

Enjoy ~ to your health (and mine) xo Carol

Come and join is in our special monthly HerbGals group ~~~ It's ALL ABOUT LAVENDER, this month!!!
HERE is the info.