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Perfect dessert to share with your loved one this Valentine’s Day.
Ingredients
Crust
- 10 oz Oreo cookies
- 2 oz melted butter
- pinch of salt
Cheesecake
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp cream
- 3 tbsp lavender simple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Raspberry Compote/paste
- 4 oz fresh raspberries
- 2 tbsp sugar (simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened)
To serve
- 3-4 oz fresh raspberries
- Sliced Almonds
- Extra Lavender Syrup
- Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Crust
- In a food processor, place the Oreos and salt, and process until you get cookie crumbs.
- Then while running the food processor on its lowest setting, drizzle the butter in. This should make the cookie crumbs moist enough to be pressed into a cheesecake base.
- Take 4 omelet rings or tart rings and butter the insides. Place these on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet or tray. (Alternatively, you can use 4 mini fluted tart pans as well).
- Place some of the cookie crumbs inside and using a flat bottomed glass or tart tamper or the back of a spoon, press down the crust to form a flat base.
- If you prefer, use your fingers to press the cookie crumbs onto the sides of your tart rings as well to form the sides of the cheesecake (this is optional, just the base would be sufficient, and easier)
- Let the tart bases freeze for a few hours, or until you need them.
- When you’re ready to use the tart bases, carefully remove the tart ring by using a sharp knife to loosen the edges. Be careful not to break the base. If you have molded the sides as well, you may need a blow torch to warm up the sides slightly, to make unmolding easier.
Raspberry swirl (can be made ahead of time)
- Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat.
- Lower the heat and let it simmer until you have a thick raspberry coulis/paste – about 10 minutes.
- Set aside to cool and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Cheesecake
- In a bowl, place all the ingredients. Whisk until you have a smooth paste.
- Add as much of the raspberry paste/coulis as you need to create a ripple effect. You can alter the amount according to your preference. I added about half. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready.
- Optional – store the cheesecake in the fridge in a piping bag fitted with a wide round nozzle.
Assembly
- Remove unmolded tart bases from the freezer (about 10 minutes before serving).
- Spoon the cheesecake or pipe in the cheesecake evenly onto the four bases.
- Stud the top with 3-4 fresh raspberries.
- Drizzle a little extra lavender syrup on top.
- Sprinkle some sliced almonds and confectioner’s sugar.
- Serve immediately.
( Via adishofdailylife.com )
Strawberries with ginger lavender
With Strawberry season in full swing, I’m getting ready to make some strawberry lavender jam. Lavender is a great compliment to any type of berry but those beautiful luscious local red strawberries are accented perfectly with tiny little purple buds of lavender. There are so many lovely ways to serve lavender and strawberries together from soup to sorbet to tarts but today I’ve decided to experiment with a simple lavender syrup recipe with a twist.
Ingredients
1 lb. of Strawberries (quartered)
1/3 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of water
2 Tablespoons of Serenity Culinary Lavender
2 Tablespoons of Limoncello (Lemon Flavoured liqueur)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp culinary lavender
Instructions
Rinse and drain Strawberries. Hull and cut into quarters in a large bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat combine water, sugar and lavender and simmer stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Place lid over top for about 15 minutes to allow the syrup mixture to steep and the lavender infuse the mixture.
Strain the syrup and discard the blossoms.
Add ginger and lemoncello into the syrup mixture.
Pour the syrup mixture over the straberries. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried culinary lavender and toss gently. Serve the berries in glass bowls or stemmed glasses. Garnish with Whipped cream and fresh lavender stems.
Makes 4 servings
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6 oz /175g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 oz/ 125 g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup / 175 ml whipping cream
2 teaspoons culinary lavender
Place chocolate in fondue pot. Heat cream add lavender and steep 20 minutes. Return to stove and heat until boiling. Quickly strain lavender from the creamand pour over chocolate. Whisk until melted. Set over warmer.
Serve with seasonal fresh fruit.
This recipe is from Bon Apetit. I combines the tannic and acidic flavours of the blackberries with the sweetness of the pears and creaminess of the ricotta for a tantalizing taste experience.
6 servings
• PREP TIME: 20 minutes
• TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
Recipe by Marlena Spieler
Photograph by Marcus Nilsson
Ingredients
•1/3cup + 2 teaspoons lavender sugar(available at Serenity Lavender online or in store or make your own using our culinary lavender)
•6 unpeeled pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), quartered, cored
•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•1 pint blackberries
•1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, crème fraîche, or vanilla ice cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously butter large rimmed baking sheet. Toss pears, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons lavender sugar in large bowl. Transfer pears, 1 cut side down, to baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes. Turn pears, placing other cut side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lavender sugar; roast 20 minutes. Turn pears, skin side down. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle pears with 1 tablespoon lavender sugar. Broil until pears begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Arrange berries around pears; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lavender sugar. Broil until berries begin to release juice, about 5 minutes.
Divide pears, berries, and juice among bowls. Top with dollop of ricotta and serve.
Its thats time of year when the local berries are in season and so is the lavender which is a perfect complement to the raspberries and blueberries.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried Serenity culinary lavender buds
- 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 cups blueberries, rinsed
- 4 cups raspberries, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
Preparation
- 1. In a blender, whirl lavender and tapioca until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Add blueberries, raspberries, and lemon juice; mix gently. Pour into a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.
- 2. In a food processor or bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and butter. Whirl or rub in with your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Stir in almonds. Squeeze handfuls of the nut mixture together, then crumble into about 1/2-inch chunks over fruit mixture. Set dish on a foil-lined baking pan.
- 3. Bake in a 350° oven until juices are bubbling in the center and streusel is browned, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool on a rack at least 45 minutes. Serve warm or cool with vanilla or lavender ice cream