Flowers in the Kitchen

Last year I planted several lavender plants and rose bushes. They survived the winter and recently began to bloom. At first I was just happy to see them alive and well, but after admiring them or a while, I decided to experiment with using them in the kitchen.

The first thing I tried was making rose syrup. As usual, I searched the internet and compared recipes. In the end, I tried two different methods and this was the simplest. I used the same method with lavender blossoms to make lavender syrup.

Gather (unsprayed) rose petals early in the morning, wash and place in a jar.

Make a simple syrup:
1 c water
1 c sugar

Mix in a pan and heat until sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour over the rose petals and allow them to steep.

Strain syrup when cooled, cap and store in the refrigerator. The picture does not do it justice. I didn't notice at the time that it was dark and brown looking. If I had, I'd have taken another one. In actuality, the syrup is a pretty, pale pink with a subtle rose scent and flavor.

I had quite a lot of lavender, so after the syrup I moved on to baking with lavender.  There were so many ideas out there, but in the end I settled on this recipe for Lavender Biscotti and was not disappointed. They were easy to make, and had just the flavor I was hoping for.

Beware - according to my family, they are 'addictive'.