I remember when the movie First Wives Club came out. I must have watched that movie on cable 50+ times, each time finding a new quote-able line. I think the one quote that made the biggest impression on me was from the scene when Gunila Garson Goldberg (Maggie Smith) invited Shelly Stewart (Sarah Jessica Parker) into her home for lunch. In the scene, Maggie Smith’s character says “Your house is your calling card.”
As an impressionable teenager, living under my parent's roof that line stuck with me. I started thinking of my room as my house and went on a shoestring budget shopping spree to redecorate it as my “calling card.” Fast forward several years to my first apartment and with keys in hand, I was ready to make it my calling card. I remember setting up my home with the bare essentials: food, linens, furniture and cleaning supplies. It was nice, but I knew I was missing something. I needed a signature scent for my home.
One of the last things I happen to unpack during the move was a lavender candle. I lit the candle and let the smell flow throughout my apartment, and that’s when I fell in love with lavender. Even to this day, lavender is weaved into every part of my home, including my cooking and baking.
History and Symbolism of Lavender
Like its scent and flavor, lavender has a rich history. It is an herb that dates back to over 2000 years ago. In the Bible, Mary used lavender oil to anoint Jesus as an infant and again after his crucifixion when she was preparing him for burial. The Egyptians used lavender in the mummification process and in urns. Greeks learned about lavender from the Egyptians. The Romans learned from the Greeks and used the flowering plant in their public baths and as a means of perfume on their bodies and in their homes. English Royalty was fond of steeped lavender. The floral scented water was used to wash linens and furniture to ensure the sweet scent swept throughout the castle.
Just like its history, the two-fold symbolism of Lavender is also rich. The color purple is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power and ambition. It also represents wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence and magic. The faint or soft color purple found in lavender symbolizes beauty and femininity. Interestingly enough, most of these descriptors can also easily be used when talking about cooking and baking with lavender.
Baking and Cooking with Lavender
It takes creativity (and skill) to use lavender bulbs in cooking and/or baking in a way that the flavor does not overpower the dish. I wanted a recipe that would not be too subtle but also not too strong and since my first love is baking, I gravitated toward dessert recipes. I also learned five basic concepts when using lavender:
- Start simple
- Provence is a subtle lavender
- A little goes a long way
- It’s pretty as a garnish
- Lavender vinegar will add a subtle yet unique flavoring to food.
I decided to keep it simple like the advice given in the articles I read. I made a simple pound cake with lavender whipped cream, using The Chopping Block's recipe.
Lavender Cream
Yield: 2 cups
Active time: 5 minutes
Start to finish: 2 hours, 5 minutes
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
2. When ready to whip the cream, add the powdered sugar. Do not strain the lavender. Using a whisk or electric mixer, whip the cream until medium peaks form.
3. Use for frosting cakes or cupcakes.
I avoided making a complicated recipe my for my first time working with lavender, and it was a good choice. The combination of the buttery flavor in the pound cake balanced nicely with the floral, lemony and slight mint flavor of the lavender. I think it was a perfect start to truly infusing the signature scent of my calling card (i. e. my home) into my baking.
If you are like me and like to experiment with flavors in a safe, controlled environment, try one of our new Cook the Book classes where the menu is full of recipes directly from the cookbook.
