powdered herb – The Herbal Bake Shoppe https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com Bringing herbalism & baking together Tue, 19 Sep 2017 20:27:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Chrysanthemum Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/chrysanthemum-gluten-free-sugar-cookies/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/chrysanthemum-gluten-free-sugar-cookies/#respond Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:54:55 +0000 http://theherbalbakeshoppe.lettuce-design.com/?post_type=recipe&p=552
Chrysanthemum CookieChrysanthemum Cookie
Dried Chrysanthemum FlowersDried Chrysanthemum Flowers
Chrysanthemum CookiesChrysanthemum Cookies
Chrysanthemum Cookie BowlChrysanthemum Cookie Bowl

Captivating flowers signify spring, summer, sunshine, and romance. There was a time when people spoke with flowers. If someone presented another a flower or a bouquet, they were communicating a message, a love note, or perhaps a dispatch not so positive. Today flowers still hold meaning, a breath of fresh air or a gift to brighten a gloomy moment, but I am fairly sure there are few people whom actually converse through them.

Many a medicinal plant includes the flower as part used. The white or yellow Chrysanthemum is one and its linguistic meaning is cheerfulness and optimism. My mentor, an acupuncturist and herbalist gave me a small sample of dried chrysanthemum flowers.

In Japan, chrysanthemum tea is a staple and considered to impart longevity and rejuvenation. I thought these flowers would go beautifully in a light and crisp sugar cookie. My son, who rarely relishes what I bake with herbs, admitted that these cookies, also grain free, tasted good and I saw him eating them all on his own. For me, that translates to cheerfulness. And optimism, to faith in myself and my herbal baking. So maybe these delicate flowers were speaking to me from their little container on my counter. I am glad to listen.

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to facilitate ease of purchase. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

Chrysanthemum Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Crisp edges, a moist center, and sweet; a little bite of cheerful.
Servings
40cookies
Servings
40cookies
Ingredients
For chrysanthemum-infused oil*
  • 2oz dried yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers, powdered**
  • ¼cup walnut oil
For cookies
  • 2¼cup almond flour
  • ½cup coconut flour
  • ½tsp baking soda
  • ½tsp salt
  • 1TBS chrysanthemum, powdered
  • ½cup organic unsalted buttersoftened
  • ¾cup organic granulated sugar
  • ¼cup chrysanthemum-infused walnut oil
  • 2 organic eggs
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 1TBS honey
  • ¾cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
For cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In small bowl, stir together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and chrysanthemum powder.
  3. In large bowl of electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter, chrysanthemum infused walnut oil and sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract and honey. Mix until combined approximately 30 seconds.
  4. Add dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, missing after each addition until flours are completely incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in white chocolate chips.
  5. Gather dough together with hands and form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  6. When ready to bake cookies, divide dough into thirds. Work with one third at a time, keeping remainder of dough cold in the refrigerator. With hands, roll dough by the teaspoonful into small balls, place on lined baking sheets and press down gently with palm of hand to form slightly flatten disc.
  7. Bake on middle rack of oven for 10-12 minutes until just starting to turn brown on the edges.
  8. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
For chrysanthemum-infused oil
  1. To infuse oil, in a coffee or spice grinder, place dried chrysanthemum flowers and grind to fine powder.
  2. Reserve 1 tablespoon of powder for when cookies are prepared, cover in a small bowl.
  3. Add remainder of powder to walnut oil. Heat gently either in small saucepan, just to simmer. Cover and keep warm for 1-2 hours. Alternately place in yogurt maker for 24-48 hours.
  4. Allow infused oil to cool prior to adding to batter.
Recipe Notes

*Prepare chrysanthemum infused oil 24-48 hours prior to making cookies.

**Alternately you may use chrysanthemum tea bags, open and measure 2 oz of the tea leaves.

Dried chrysanthemum flowers can be purchased online or from Oriental markets. These are not the chrysanthemums that are sold in garden centers or that are grown in pots in autumn. If unable to find, walnut oil… hazelnut oil, coconut oil or avocado oil may be substituted.

]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/chrysanthemum-gluten-free-sugar-cookies/feed/ 0 Lavender Almond Truffles https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-almond-truffles/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-almond-truffles/#respond Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:49:25 +0000 http://theherbalbakeshoppe.lettuce-design.com/?post_type=recipe&p=543
Lavender Almond TrufflesLavender Almond Truffles
Lavender Almond Truffles on TrayLavender Almond Truffles on Tray

Using herb powders rolled into bite-sized balls is a brilliant kitchen apothecary tool. Almost any herb can taste good this way. The wisest herbalists use these to acquaint those who are sensitive and discerning of palate, especially children, to a pleasant way of ingesting herbs.

Rosemary Gladstar, an amazing teacher known as the godmother of herbalism, offers the idea of herb balls in the books she has authored. These mix herbal powders into 2 parts nut butter with 1 part sweetener, honey or maple syrup, and are an inspiration to create your own favorite confection. It is true that many herbs are just not appealing to our penchant that leans toward the salty and sweet. They are bitter or sour or overly fragrant. But mix herbal powder with cocoa, peanut butter and honey and the flavor becomes tolerable, even delightful. For me, these also function as a filling and healthy quick breakfast or snack.

If any ingredient in the recipe does not suit your own tastes, feel free to make substitutions, different nuts, maple syrup for honey, or cinnamon instead of ginger. Let your preferences steer you through more eating of herbs.

Lavender Almond Truffles
Servings Prep Time
36truffles 30minutes
Cook Time
30minutes
Servings Prep Time
36truffles 30minutes
Cook Time
30minutes
Ingredients
  • ½cup figs
  • 1cup almonds
  • ½cup cashews
  • 2 ½TBS cocoa powder (Dagoba)Hershey's is also fine
  • additional cocoa powder for coating
  • 3TBS honey
  • 2TBS ground flax seed
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 1tsp lavender powder
  • ½tsp ginger
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, cover figs with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes.
  2. Place almonds and cashews in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped completely and begin to form a paste. Stir and scrape down sides to make sure that all of the nuts are incorporated.
  3. Add soaked figs, cocoa powder, honey, flax seed, vanilla, lavender powder, ginger, and salt. Process until all ingredients are incorporated into a smooth, paste-like consistency. Add a bit more honey if seems too dry.
  4. Remove from food processor and put into a container with a lid, lined with waxed paper. Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes, this can stay in the freezer longer though until you are ready to mold into truffles.
  5. Remove from freezer and roll into small balls, and then roll in additional cocoa powder to coat. This will make your hands messy, but will wash right off. Store truffles, covered in the refrigerator.
]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-almond-truffles/feed/ 0 Sage Sweet Potato Bread https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/sage-sweet-potato-bread/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/sage-sweet-potato-bread/#respond Tue, 07 Jul 2015 22:48:03 +0000 http://theherbalbakeshoppe.lettuce-design.com/?post_type=recipe&p=541
Sage Sweet Potato Bread SlicedSage Sweet Potato Bread Sliced
Sage and Lemon Shortbread Cookies IngredientsSage and Lemon Shortbread Cookies Ingredients
Sage Sweet Potato Bread IngredientsSage Sweet Potato Bread Ingredients
Sage Sweet Potato Bread Dried Sage as IngredientSage Sweet Potato Bread Dried Sage as Ingredient
Sage LeavesSage Leaves
Dried SageDried Sage
Sage Sweet Potato Bread Full LoafSage Sweet Potato Bread Full Loaf
Sage Sweet Potato Bread Slice with ButterSage Sweet Potato Bread Slice with Butter

A classic autumn combination, evocative of holiday feasting. I must admit the sweet potato for me goes with Thanksgiving and I don’t much feel like eating them at any other time. Despite that, my inner nutritionist holds them in high regard as a vitamin and mineral packed starchy vegetable. The nutrients are much needed, magnesium, iron, fiber, folic acid, tons of vitamin A and beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and lots of others in smaller yet important amounts. The sweet in these potatoes falls into the category of low glycemic and as such will not cause a spike in blood glucose levels, which is a plus, especially in baking. The anthocyanin pigments responsible for the orange brightness contribute anti-inflammatory benefits that scientific studies reveal affect our brain and nerves in a positive way. It is a true food as therapy vegetable.

Still, these tubers are a bit too sweet for me to crave them for dinner. And my children will not eat sweet potatoes unless they are made into French fries. Not even the delectable brandy orange glazed chunks my mom has always made in November. This quick bread with the sweetness balanced by the bitter, drying, pungency of sage acts as the ultimate solution. Here again, the beauty of cake, my children will eat it.

Sage Sweet Potato Bread
with sage infused butter
Servings Prep Time
1loaf 2hours
Cook Time
45-50minutes
Servings Prep Time
1loaf 2hours
Cook Time
45-50minutes
Ingredients
For sage-infused butter
  • 2TBS unsalted butter
  • 1tsp dried sage, powdergrind in coffee grinder
For bread
  • 1⅔cup sweet potatoes, mashed2-3 medium potatoes
  • 2TBS dried sage
  • ¾cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼cup walnut oil
  • 1TBS orange zestrind from 1 organic orange
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 1cup whole wheat flour
  • 1tsp baking soda
  • ½tsp baking powder
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • ½cup walnutsbroken into small pieces
Instructions
For sage-infused butter
  1. Combine butter and sage in small saucepan. Heat over medium low heat until butter is melted and frothy.
  2. Cool for 15 minutes and then strain out sage. Place butter in small dish or mold and refrigerate until hardened a bit, enough to spread. You can also leave in some or all of the sage, it depends on how much you like the taste of it.
To bake and mash sweet potatoes
  1. Preheat oven to 425 °F. Wash and dry sweet potatoes, pierce several times with a fork.
  2. Place in baking pan and bake until fully cooked and soft when tested with a fork or knife, 45-60 minutes depending on size of potatoes.
  3. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. While still warm, cut in half lengthwise with sharp knife. Scoop out flesh with spoon into the bowl of a food processer fitted with metal blade. Add dried sage. Process until completely smooth, scraping sides, there should be no lumps of sweet potatoes remaining.
  4. Refrigerate until cooled completely. This can be done 1-2 days ahead and kept in refrigerator until ready to bake bread.
To bake bread
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Generously grease with butter a 15x9 inch loaf pan.
  2. In large mixing bowl, stir together with wooden spoon mashed sweet potatoes and brown sugar. Add beaten eggs, walnut oil, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Stir together until well combined.
  3. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients all at once to sweet potato mixture and fold in gently just to moisten and combine. Fold in walnuts.
  4. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  5. Cool on wire rack. Place plate over loaf pan and invert bread, slice and serve plain, with plain butter or sage infused butter.
]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/sage-sweet-potato-bread/feed/ 0 Lavender Peach Coffee Cake https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-peach-coffee-cake/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-peach-coffee-cake/#respond Tue, 07 Jul 2015 21:17:33 +0000 http://theherbalbakeshoppe.lettuce-design.com/?post_type=recipe&p=536
Lavender Peach Coffee Cake One PieceLavender Peach Coffee Cake One Piece
Lavender Peach Coffee Cake IngredientsLavender Peach Coffee Cake Ingredients
First Layer — Lavender Peach Coffee CakeFirst Layer — Lavender Peach Coffee Cake
Second Layer — Lavender Peach Coffee CakeSecond Layer — Lavender Peach Coffee Cake
Third Layer — Lavender Peach Coffee CakeThird Layer — Lavender Peach Coffee Cake
Lavender Peach Coffee Cake Out of the OvenLavender Peach Coffee Cake Out of the Oven
Lavender Peach Coffee Cake on TrayLavender Peach Coffee Cake on Tray
Lavender Peach Coffee Cake on Tray with CoffeeLavender Peach Coffee Cake on Tray with Coffee

The mingling of lavender with fruit. Just as a backup singer adjusts her pitch to the tune of the lead vocalist, so lavender harmonizes beautifully with the peach. Maida Heatter, “the queen of desserts” calls this layered pastry a kuchen, which is the German word for cake. It is reminiscent of pie, with a cakey crust, a fruit filling and a crumby topping. It resounded the perfect coffee cake to me. Pondering that complementing duo, I flavored three of the layers with lavender, the sweet yeast dough, the crumb topping, and the icing but the taste still just peaks through because of how well the peaches balance it.

There is a tradition in Germany called Kaffee and Kuchen. Friends and families gather mid afternoon, especially on Sundays, anywhere for coffee and cake and conversation. Conversation! In my home with three teenagers who sometimes barely utter a hello as they immerse themselves in their own lives (totally normal I know), this sounds so good. The idea of a homemade cake to share with my special confidantes, inspired me to add the herb of attraction, lavender, to this kuchen, enticing them to my home for a good cuppa, a treat, and talking.

Adapted from Maida Heatter’s Great American Desserts

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

Lavender Peach Coffee Cake
Servings Prep Time
8-10people 75minutes
Cook Time
40minutes
Servings Prep Time
8-10people 75minutes
Cook Time
40minutes
Ingredients
For topping
  • ½cup organic light brown sugar
  • ¼cup organic unsifted all-purpose flour
  • ¼cup organic almond meal
  • 3TBS organic unsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
  • ⅛ tsp lavender powder
For cake batter
  • 4-5 organic medium peaches*peeled and sliced thinly
  • 2cups organic unsifted all-purpose flour
  • 1cup organic granulated sugarplus 1 extra teaspoon*
  • ½cup organic unsalted buttersoftened to room temperature
  • ¼cup organic milk
  • 2 organic large eggsroom temperature
  • 2TBS warm water
  • 1½ tsp active dry yeastnot a full packet
  • 1TBS baking powder
  • ½tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼tsp almond extract
  • ½tsp salt
  • 1 rind of large lemonfinely grated
  • ¼cup chocolate chips or raisinsoptional
For icing
  • ¼tsp lavender powder
  • 1TBS boiling water
  • 1cup organic sifted powder sugar
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
For topping
  1. In small bowl, cream butter with large spoon until soft. Add sugar and beat to mix.
  2. Add flour, almond meal, and lavender powder beating until crumbly. Set aside to top cake before baking.
For cake batter
  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Butter 13x9x2-inch cake pan and place in freezer until ready to use for batter. This will make it easier to spread bottom layer of cake in pan.
  3. In small bowl, combine warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and yeast. Stir with a knife just to mix and set aside.
  4. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and lavender powder. Set aside.
  5. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until soft. Add remaining ½ cup sugar, beat to mix. Add yeast mixture, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, and lemon rind. Beat on medium high speed to mix which may make batter look curdled, but this is ok and will change as soon as dry ingredients are added.
  6. Decrease speed of mixer to low, add ½ of dry ingredients, then milk, then rest of dry ingredients, beating to combine after each addition. Once well combined, begin cake assembly.
For icing
  1. Place lavender powder in small bowl and pour in boiling water, stir to dissolve.
  2. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice and stir with rubber spatula until smooth and thick and just barely thin enough to drizzle on cake.
To assemble cake
  1. Remove baking pan from freezer. Pour ½ of cake batter (approximately 1¼ cups) into pan and spread with rubber spatula into a very thin layer covering whole bottom of pan.
  2. Line sliced peaches in rows to cover bottom layer of batter. Peaches should be just barely touching each other. If using chocolate chips or raisins, sprinkle on top of peaches.
  3. Using 2 teaspoons, place the rest of the batter on top of the peaches, working to cover as much of the fruit as you can. Use one spoon to pick up a spoonful of batter, the second spoon to push off onto fruit. Once you have used up all of the batter, there may be some small spaces showing which is ok.
  4. Using your fingers, sprinkle the topping mixture over the batter to completely cover. Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is browned.
  5. While cake is baking, prepare icing. Do this right at the end, in the last 5 minutes of baking.
  6. As soon as cake is removed from oven, use a rubber spatula to drizzle icing in thin lines all over the cake. The icing will sink into the cake topping.
  7. Cool cake in pan on wire racks. Once cooled to room temperature, place pan in refrigerator for 1-2 hours until cold. Slice into squares. Store in refrigerator. Coffee cake slices can be individually wrapped and frozen.
Recipe Notes

If peaches are ripe, it may be easier to blanch them for peeling. To blanch peaches, bring a water to boil in a saucepan deep enough to cover two peaches at a time. Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Place 2 peaches at a time into the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Boil for 1-2 minutes depending on ripeness of peaches. Lift peach out of water with slotted spoon and if skin feels loose when you touch it with a finger, place in ice water until cool enough to handle. Starting at the stem, peel off the skin with your fingers. If needed, peaches can be returned to the boiling water. Slice peeled peaches into thin slices. If peaches are not very ripe, I think it is easier to use a thin, sharp paring knife to peel and slice them.

Using organic ingredients in your baked goods makes them all the more nourishing. For this recipe, use organic butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, and peaches if available.

]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-peach-coffee-cake/feed/ 0 Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/lavender-chocolate-chip-cookies/ Mon, 06 Jul 2015 18:35:55 +0000 http://theherbalbakeshoppe.lettuce-design.com/?post_type=recipe&p=523
Lavender Chocolate Chip CookiesLavender Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lavender Chocolate Chip CookiesLavender Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lavender Flower Powder and CookieLavender Flower Powder and Cookie
Dried Lavender BudsDried Lavender Buds
Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookie Closer LookLavender Chocolate Chip Cookie Closer Look
Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Flower PowderLavender Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Flower Powder

The coup de maître (genius) of a much-loved cookie: able to soften the concentrated perfume of lavender while permitting a delicate floral tone to a brilliant baking classic.

These days my baking is all about the secret ingredient. Before my children taste anything, they ask, “what is in these?” When I took these cookies infused with the flowery essence of lavender to a meeting, the first person to sample asked, “what is in these?” She guessed ginger and seemed skeptical when I answered lavender. Perhaps she was thinking lavender is for lotions and soaps, not cookies. It also marries happily with chocolate and sweets.

On the other hand, my mom loving everything I make fuels my hope for a time when my herbal additions become normal. Maybe she is so accepting because she is my mom, but perhaps a day will come when there will be recognition of flavors and people will say “ahh, lavender, I love these”. For now, my quest involves a nudge with favorite cookies or brownies or cupcakes enhancing with herbs wonderful in taste and rich in benefits. When my children test, they tell me if a cookie or cake is copacetic or unpleasant, if they will eat it or not. So far, not adoring everything, occasionally they approve and that is enough, for now.

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings Prep Time
60cookies 25minutes
Cook Time
11minutes
Servings Prep Time
60cookies 25minutes
Cook Time
11minutes
Ingredients
  • 1cup organic unsalted butter, frozensoftened to room temperature
  • ¼cup powdered, dried lavender buds
  • 1cup organic granulated sugar
  • 1 cup organic dark brown sugar
  • 2 organic eggs
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup organic all-purpose flour
  • ¾cup organic coconut flour
  • 1tsp baking soda
  • ½tsp baking powder
  • ½tsp salt
  • 10oz milk chocolate chips
Instructions
For lavender-infused butter
  1. In large mixing glass mixing bowl, blend softened butter and powdered lavender until well combined. This should look creamy and light brown in color.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to infuse and mellow lavender flavor in butter. Prior to making cookies the next day, remove lavender butter from refrigerator and allow to soften again to room temperature.
For cookies
  1. Preheat oven to 375 °F. To softened lavender butter, add granulated and brown sugars and cream together until well combined.
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring until incorporated into butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla extract. Combine flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in small mixing bowl.
  3. Add gradually to butter, sugar, and eggs, stirring after each addition to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
  4. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until just starting to brown on tops, do not over bake as cookies will become very crispy. Cool cookies on wire racks.
Recipe Notes

The day before baking cookies, prepare lavender-infused butter.

Using organic ingredients in your baked goods makes them all the more nourishing. For these cookies, use organic butter, sugar, eggs, and flour if available.

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