Lavender Chocolate Truffles

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of lavender in my garden. Because this is California, my lavender blooms all year round. There are so many uses for lavender in baking and cooking. I often substitute lavender for rosemary in bread recipes. I make lavender sugar by adding the buds (you can use the stalk and leaves, too) to sugar and sealing in a jar for a few weeks. I substitute lavender sugar in cake and dessert recipes. Depending on the container, lavender sugar is a great gift, too. Just an FYI. Experiment. I find English lavender is best for cooking, but I have several different varieties of lavender, so I vary my 'recipes'.

In this recipe, you infuse the cream with lavender and the remove the buds. FYI: lavender has a very strong flavor. A little goes a long way.

LAVENDER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 Tbsp lavender buds
2 Tbsp honey
1-1/3 cups DARK chocolate, chopped
Cocoa powder

Directions
Line rimmed baking sheet with wax paper or parchment. Set aside.
Bring whipping cream to gentle simmer in saucepan.
Remove pan from heat, stir in lavender buds and cover with lid. Steep for 12 minutes.
Using fine mesh sieve, strain whipping cream, discarding lavender buds. Whisk in honey.
Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour hot infused honey-lavender cream over chocolate. Whisk chocolate completely into cream mixture.
Chill in refrigerator to firm, about 30–45 minutes.
Using small scoop or two spoons, form into balls.
Put cocoa powder in shallow bowl. Roll truffles in cocoa.
Transfer cocoa-dusted truffles to prepared baking sheet.

Lavender Dreams Chocolate Truffles

Today is National Truffle Day and keeping with the Spring theme (yesterday I posted Queen of the May Chocolate Cake!), here's a wonderful recipe for Lavender Chocolate Truffles! I have several varieties of lavender in my garden, and I use the lavender for just about everything. In this recipe, you infuse the cream with the lavender and then remove the buds. Very easy!

Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. English Lavender has the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is the one most commonly used in cooking. Just an FYI, lavender has a very strong flavor. A little goes a long way.

LAVENDER DREAMS CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 Tablespoons lavender buds
2 Tablespoons honey
1 1/3 cups DARK chocolate (65–75% cocoa), chopped
Cocoa powder for dusting

Directions
Line baking sheet with parchment.
Bring whipping cream to a simmer  (do not let boil!)
Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in lavender buds.
Cover and steep for 10 minutes.
Strain whipping cream to remove lavender buds.
Whisk in honey.
Put chocolate in medium bowl and pour hot infused honey and lavender cream over chocolate. Whisk to blend chocolate into cream for your ganache.
Set ganache to chill at room temperature for several hours.
Using small scoop or melon baller  and hands shape ganache into balls.
Put cocoa powder in shallow bowl. Roll truffle balls in cocoa.
Transfer cocoa dusted truffles to parchment lined baking sheet.
Store in cool, dry place (not refrigerator).