What to Eat Wednesday - Mason Jar Latte: Lovely Lavender

Lavender is my favorite.  Hands down, nine times out of ten, I will choose lavender in whatever I'm buying.  It just smells so fresh and clean and slightly sweet without being cloying.  It's delightful.  I know some people don't like it...

"It smells like old woman."

~A silly friend of mine

But it is the scent of reassurance to me.  But did you know you can drink it too?  Whaaaat?!  Crazy talk.  It's true, and it's delightful.  In Heather's continuing coffee series, I give you lavender lattes.

I tried my first lavender latte over a year ago, and I was dubious at the time too.  Would lavender taste any good?  Yes, because if you do it right, you're getting more of the scent, a whisper, of the lavender rather than the taste of it.  That being the case, you don't want to be heavy handed any time you use it in cooking.  Too much and it'll feel like you're drinking laundry detergent.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lavender blossoms
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup coffee (I used French pressed, but you can also use a shot of espresso)

Be sure to get lavender that's meant for eating.  There are some varieties that don't taste very nice.  For that reason, I always buy lavender from the spice aisle.  I wouldn't have a clue picking it from a garden.

Making the syrup couldn't be simpler.  Just combine your water, sugar, and lavender buds in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat.  Cook for fifteen or twenty minutes or until sugar has dissolved.  Small bubbles are okay, but do not let the mixture start to boil.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and let sit for another ten minutes.

Using a fine mesh sieve over a small jar, strain the syrup mixture into the jar. 

Safety first.  As Heather mentioned in her post, the glass jar will be hot!

Using the recipe Heather wrote here, make your steamed milk in the microwave (I did not add the syrup yet at this point, just the milk).

Ah, lovely frothy milk just waiting for yummy coffee.

After finishing frothing your milk, add your hot coffee and syrup.  I only use a tablespoon of syrup, but you can add more or less depending on your tastes.  Then just stir to combine and enjoy!

I admit that lavender is not something you'd expect to find in coffee, but it is surprisingly lovely.  The sugar tempers the bitter edge of the coffee while the floral notes of the lavender runs through it like a gentle brook.  Give it a try.  If you don't like it, you can just gift the jar to someone else, but I don't think that will be a problem. ;-)

Cheers!