Dessert

This time of year always makes me want to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea thanks to the crisp air, chilly weather {in the mornings and nights}, and bright, sunshiny afternoons that ensure all our flowers are in bloom. Well, years ago I went to the Kona coast for my birthday and fell in love with Tazo’s earl grey tea {which was offered in our hotel room everyday} thanks to it’s lavender bergamot essence. While the tea was wonderful {and one I still drink religiously}, I immediately began dreaming of the desserts I could make with it, such as biscotti and cake. Since I’ve been baking a lot recently, I decided to combine my love of earl grey tea with my love for lavender and for cake. The result is a sweet cake with a hint of earl grey, slathered in a decadent lavender frosting. The lavender and earl grey create a distinct and unique flavor that pairs perfectly with tea or coffee as an afternoon indulgence or after dinner treat, and since the cake itself is made with tea, it made for the perfect opportunity to sip on some earl grey while baking the cake itself. I love how the final product has a sweet, floral infused flavor thanks to the lavender and earl grey cake + the sweet lavender frosting. And when topped with sugared lavender blossoms + white nonpareils, it feels like the perfect indulgence on a cool evening and the epitome of spring and summertime in a dessert.

Ingredients:
Tazo earl grey tea
1 ounce lavender simple syrup
Cake mix
Nonpareils
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Red and blue food coloring

Recipe:
1. Mix a yellow cake mix and add in 1 ounce of lavender simple syrup {equal parts sugar and water with fresh lavender blossoms, boiled down} and earl grey tea with lavender notes. Note: You can substitute water for tea for a stronger flavor, or since I wanted a milder flavor I added in 1 ounce of earl grey tea to the cake mix.
2. Bake the cake. Tip: Baking it in parchment paper makes it easy to remove from the cake pan.
3. To make the frosting, use equal parts powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream, and one ounce lavender simple syrup, and blend. By adding in a little red and blue food coloring, it helps create the pretty lavender color. If the frosting looks a little blue/ grey, add in a touch of red, and if it looks a little pink, add in a touch of blue.
4. Once the cake has cooked and cooled, frost it. I added sugared lavender from the lavender simple syrup for a pretty garnish and sprinkled white nonpareils on the cake edges.
5. Enjoy!

x Paris

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One of my favorite memories as a child was frosting shamrock sugar cookies in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day in second grade. Our teaching assistant brought us shamrock shaped sugar cookies + green frosting for one of the cutest projects ever. It felt so fun to play with green frosting and make the most festive treats {that everyone promptly ate the moment we finished decorating the cookies}. However, I remember wanting to preserve my cookie for the rest of my life {since I was a little dramatic and all}. And while my plan of never eating it didn’t come true {um hi, sugar}, I decided years ago to remake a batch of those cookies to recreate the experience and celebrate the Irish holiday. And I’ve made it a bit of a tradition ever since then. However, to elevate the experience, instead of store bought sugar cookies, I make them from scratch. And to make the whole experience feel a bit more adult {and Irish}, I spike the frosting with a touch of Baileys Irish Cream {inspired by this recipe} for those who don’t mind the alcohol, while also making some frosting minus the booze for those who don’t want an alcohol-infused dessert. The cookies are buttery with every bite, while the Baileys frosting adds a slightly adult twist to one of my favorite childhood memories. I’ve since dubbed these my “lucky shamrock sugar cookies”, meaning I may have to indulge in them on a daily basis solely for my dose of good luck. I hope you enjoy them for your dose of good luck as much as I do. x

Tools: Shamrock Cookie Cutter

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