Lavender

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake by Wood and Spoon. This is a lemon layer cake frozen with lavender whipped cream and a raspberry preserve filling. The cake can be made ahead of time in advance and serves a crowd. Perfect springtime treat for easter dessert or mothers day. This cake can be made rectangle or square or round and is way more simple that is looks! Get the how to on infusing lavender into food and makes a soft and fluffy citrus cake. Recipe by Kate wood thewoodandspoon.com

Happy Sunday, Friends! I hope this weekend has been full of joy and love and rest for you. We did a lot of the opposite this weekend, as we partook in the madness that is March college basketball. My husband (an Auburn fan) and myself (a UK fan) will have to duke it out later this afternoon as our teams play each other in the Elite Eight match, so pray for us. For your lazy-day entertainment, I’ve rounded up a list of things I’ve been reading, eating, and shopping for,  plus I’m sharing the how-to on this seriously adorable lemon lavender icebox cake. Grab a fork and let’s dive in!

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake by Wood and Spoon. This is a lemon layer cake frozen with lavender whipped cream and a raspberry preserve filling. The cake can be made ahead of time in advance and serves a crowd. Perfect springtime treat for easter dessert or mothers day. This cake can be made rectangle or square or round and is way more simple that is looks! Get the how to on infusing lavender into food and makes a soft and fluffy citrus cake. Recipe by Kate wood thewoodandspoon.com

What I’m Reading:

  • I relate to this article on “crispy-gone-soggy” foods (think soggy nachos, leftover General Tso’s carryout, etc) on so many levels. It’s an opinion piece from Bon Appetit that is entirely funny and delicious on so many levels. Check it out for a casual laugh and stomach rumble.
  • Food52’s annual cookbook tournament  has just wound down, and I am so thrilled to pick up copies of the winning books. Basically they’ve picked some of the most eye-catching cookbooks from the year go head-to-head in a bracket-style throw down. The judges are mostly renowned chefs who whittle the list of best cookbooks down from 16 to 1. Read about the finalists (and the winner!) here.
  • I’m just wrapping up “Everybody, Always” by Bob Goff. It’s a heartwarming, inspiring, and, at times, difficult read, but there’s so much truth in it that I love it. Loving people can be really hard, but Bob breaks this lifelong pursuit down to just loving the person in front of you, one day at a time. Such a good read.

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake by Wood and Spoon. This is a lemon layer cake frozen with lavender whipped cream and a raspberry preserve filling. The cake can be made ahead of time in advance and serves a crowd. Perfect springtime treat for easter dessert or mothers day. This cake can be made rectangle or square or round and is way more simple that is looks! Get the how to on infusing lavender into food and makes a soft and fluffy citrus cake. Recipe by Kate wood thewoodandspoon.com

What I’m Eating:

  • With warmer weather and bathing suit season on the horizon, we’ve been trying to include lots of salads and veggies in the dinnertime lineup. This bulgur salad with cucumbers, dill, chickpeas, and peppers is anything but basic, and it’s probably my favorite dish I’ve prepared in months. Serve with grilled chicken or fish if you’re cooking for a meatatarian, otherwise, this salad needs no other sidekick.
  • Ok, so I must not be really concerned about that summer body, because we’re still totally making burgers. These ones are smashed thin like the ones you might get at a greasy diner, and they are outrageous delicious. We top ours with grilled red onion and serve with skillet hash browns. My mouth is actually watering.
  • I love how easily a pork tenderloin will serve my family of four, but I’m always getting stuck in the savory herb-crusted rut. This recipe from Tyler Florence boasts a chimichurri sauce that is to die for and makes the whole dish feel fresh and exciting. Serve with rice, beans, and grilled veggies.

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake by Wood and Spoon. This is a lemon layer cake frozen with lavender whipped cream and a raspberry preserve filling. The cake can be made ahead of time in advance and serves a crowd. Perfect springtime treat for easter dessert or mothers day. This cake can be made rectangle or square or round and is way more simple that is looks! Get the how to on infusing lavender into food and makes a soft and fluffy citrus cake. Recipe by Kate wood thewoodandspoon.com

What I’m Shopping For:

  • The Madewell spring collection has me longing for non-maternity wear. The bright colors, flowy materials, and simple retro patterns are 100% my ballgame.
  • I just ordered this bathing suit coverup both for now and post-baby. When I’m chasing after two kiddos at the pool, I don’t want to worry what is falling out of the backside of my suit, and this coverup is the light and airy ticket I’ve been looking for. Plus, the side tie means that I can wear it as my body transitions in the coming months!
  • The springy dishes and serveware at Sur La Table have me itching to throw a garden party. I’m dying over the new cast iron colors and floral china. Check it out here.

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake by Wood and Spoon. This is a lemon layer cake frozen with lavender whipped cream and a raspberry preserve filling. The cake can be made ahead of time in advance and serves a crowd. Perfect springtime treat for easter dessert or mothers day. This cake can be made rectangle or square or round and is way more simple that is looks! Get the how to on infusing lavender into food and makes a soft and fluffy citrus cake. Recipe by Kate wood thewoodandspoon.com

What I’m Baking:

Lemon lavender icebox cake. Isn’t she a beaut? I love how dainty and fancy this sweet make-ahead dessert feels, and I love the ease with which I’m able to prepare it. Made with a fluffy and citrusy lemon cake, a lavender-infused whipped filling, and sweet raspberry preserves, this cake is the springy layered treat your tables have been begging for.

I made this lemon lavender icebox cake in partnership with my friends at Kerrygold. Their unsalted butter keeps the lemon cake moist  in spite of the cake’s time spent in the icebox, and it adds a subtle richness to every bite. I love having a go-to butter brand to suit my favorite decadent desserts, and this little freezer-friendly cake is no exception.

Making the Icebox Cake

To make this lemon lavender icebox cake, we start by baking the cake. This cake whips up easily with butter, sugar, eggs, and the usual suspect dry ingredients. The juice of the lemons adds tang and acidity to this cake while the zest adds a fragrant, lemony taste to every bite. We bake the batter in a half sheet pan and allow it to cool completely before we throw it all together.

The filling for this lemon lavender cake is basically a bulked-up whipped cream. We add in a little cream cheese to the mixture to stabilize the airy whipped cream which gets its flavor from an infusion of dried lavender. I purchased a small bag of dried culinary lavender on Amazon, but some of you big city folks may be able to find it in your grocery stores.

Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake by Wood and Spoon. This is a lemon layer cake frozen with lavender whipped cream and a raspberry preserve filling. The cake can be made ahead of time in advance and serves a crowd. Perfect springtime treat for easter dessert or mothers day. This cake can be made rectangle or square or round and is way more simple that is looks! Get the how to on infusing lavender into food and makes a soft and fluffy citrus cake. Recipe by Kate wood thewoodandspoon.com

Assembling the Cake

To assemble this lemon lavender cake, we invert the cooled cake out of the pan and cut it into three equal-sized rectangles. I use a big ruler for precision, but you can wing it if that’s more your speed. Spread a thin layer of prepared raspberry preserves all over each piece of cake and then begin stacking! Place your first piece of raspberry-coated cake on a small, freezer friendly platter. Dollop 1/3 of the infused whipped cream on top and gently spread to a flat layer. Stack a second piece of cake and repeat this process again.

Take care to spread the whipped cream as flat and evenly as possible to maintain a more stable cake. Some of the whipped cream may barely squish out the sides of the cake as you stack it, but don’t worry. Just be careful to not press down hard on the cake and remember it will all firm up in the freezer.

Leave the lemon lavender icebox cake in the freezer overnight, and, once frozen, feel free to trim up the edges to form neat rectangle slices. I cut 1/2″ pieces for serving, but you could also cut squares or wedges if you please! Just be sure to show off all those fancy layers, because, DANG, they are beautiful.

Many thanks to Kerrygold for sponsoring this delightful spring treat. It’s an honor to partner with a brand that I trust and adore so much, and I hope you all will welcome them to your kitchens as well. Enjoy this Sunday, enjoy some time spent baking, and GO CATS.

If you like this lemon lavender icebox cake you should check out:

Strawberry Icebox Pie

Peppermint Bark Icebox Cake

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Lemon Lavender Cookies

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Lemon Lavender Icebox Cake

This lemon lavender icebox cake is a chilled springtime treat with lemon cake layers, lavender whipped cream, and sweet raspberry preserves.

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 420
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I use Kerrygold)
  • 11/3 cups (265 gm) sugar
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup (180 gm) milk
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 11/2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 cups (270 gm) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 11/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

For the cream:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender
  • 4 ounces (110 gm) regular cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (65 gm) sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • Lavender food coloring, if desired.
  • 1 cup raspberry preserves

Instructions

To prepare the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a half sheet pan (18″ x 13″ x 1″) with baking spray. Line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg whites and vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add half of the milk plus the lemon juice and zest. Mix until combined and then add about half of the flour as well as the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining milk followed by the remaining flour. Mix on low only until combined and scrape the sides of the bowl. Fold in any unincorporated bits and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

To prepare the cream:

  1. Combine the whipping cream and lavender in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours. When ready to prepare the cream, cream the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed in a large bowl until combined, about 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle in the cream while the mixer is on low to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract and continue beating on medium speed until the mixture has thickened and stiff peaks form. Add a smidge of light purple or lavender food coloring if desired. Set in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the cake:

  1. Invert the cake out of the pan and cut along the long edge into three equal pieces. You’ll wind up with 3 rectangles of cake about 5-1/2” x 12-1//2” in size. Spread 1/3 of the preserves on each piece of cake in a thin even layer. Place on piece of the jammy cake on a serving dish and spread 1/3 of the lavender whipped cream on top. Smooth to flatten the whipped cream without overworking the cream and then top with another jammy piece of cake. Repeat this process once more finishing with the remaining layer of cake and lavender whipped cream on top. Place in the freezer to firm up the top quickly, about an hour, and then cover gently with plastic wrap and continue freezing for another 6 hours. You can clean up the edges of the cake by cutting through the frozen layers to even them up, if desired. Otherwise, slice ½” wedges for serving and top with fresh raspberries, if desired. I prefer to slice while frozen and then let the slices warm up slightly at room temp for about 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Otherwise, let the cake barely thaw at room temp for about 20-30 minutes prior to slicing and serving.

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Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies and How To Gold-Splatter Sugar Cookies!

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood and Abby Hollar of The Hollardays Blog. This is a simple recipe for homemade cutout sugar cookies flavored with dried lavender and vanilla bean paste. The icing is simple and dries quick and doesn't require a piping bag or tip like Royal icing. The gold lustre luster dust is mixed with alcohol to create a shiny metallic paint that you can splatter on your cookies with a basting brush. Find the tutorial and how to paint cookies on thewoodandspoon.com

This past week on “Real Housewives of Alabama,” Kate drove to the big city, hopped a plane to Orlando, and spent a kid-free weekend at the beach with her college girlfriends(!!!) Yes, it’s true- for a glorious 72 hours, there were no diapers to change, jobs to clock in to, dirty boxer-briefs to pick up off the floor. Just 4 gals, the crashing waves, and a super classy box of red wine.

With no deadlines to meet or tiny humans to tend to, the hours of the day passed lazily with cozy blankets and rabbit trails of conversation that usually began with “Remember when…?” and ended in fits of laughter. Time away is good for the soul and helps me to dust off little bits of myself that ordinarily hide on the bookshelf. These girls have been around for over a decade now, and every time we see each other, I’m always reminded how good it feels to be known. What would we do without the people in our lives who love us without agenda and in spite of ourselves? Bless. Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar CookiesLavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
photos by jesse walsh dreamtown photo co

Tutorials with Friends!

One of my little beach bunnies, Abby, recently started a lifestyle blog called The Hollar-Days where she shares DIYS, painting tutorials, and snippets from her life as wife and mama. Abby shares my love of delicious food and beverages, so when she suggested we plan a little beachside picnic for our girl’s trip, I was all in. A few cookies and cocktails later (you know, for “testing purposes”), we came up with a few treats that I’m thrilled to share with you.

Exhibit A: lavender vanilla bean sugar cookies.

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar CookiesLavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

These cookies are quite similar to my favorite cutout sugar cookies that I shared with you all a while ago, except they have specks of vanilla bean and lavender. I adapted my favorite icing recipe so that you can simply dip the face of the cookie in the glaze, and I have to say, it makes preparing these cookies easy breezy. While lavender vanilla bean sugar cookies are certainly special enough on their own, we decided to fancy them up a bit by splattering them with little gold speckles. I was inspired by a recent article in Martha Stewart Magazine and knew I needed an adaptation of my own. Maybe the girliest, most lovely little cookies of all time!

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
photo by abby hollar

Cookie Tags!

Abby, the super crafty lady that she is, came up with a coordinating champagne cocktail for us to enjoy and even hand-painted some tags to adorn the packaged cookies. With a vanilla bean simple syrup and super jazzy lavender bitters, champagne cocktails have never been so chic or Provencal (and you all know how I feel about the French).  Check out the her post for the cocktail recipe and watercolored tags as well as a few photos from our time at the beach. The rest of her blog is equally charming, and you may even catch a few snippets of her darling little Margot, who I’m certain is destined to be Aimee’s BFF someday. (Fingers crossed!!!)

Cookies are great, but sometimes, a little time away with your bests is just what the doctor ordered. Give these lavender vanilla bean sugar cookies a try, and share them with your favorite gals (or guys!) this coming Valentine’s Day. You can also find a few other delish cookie recipes to share with your besties here. Oh, and PS, I’m chomping at the bit to share ALL THE CHOCOLATE RECIPES with you guys throughout the month of February, so hold on to your hats, belts, and everything else, and prep your gullet for some melt in your mouth goodness. It’s going to be a delicious 28 days for us. Cheers to you!

Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar CookiesLavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

For a link to Abby’s cocktail recipe and Valentine’s gift tags, click here!

To check out the culinary lavender I purchased, click here!

To find lustre dust, click here!

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Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

The lavender vanilla bean sugar cookies are soft cutout cookies scented with dried lavender and vanilla bean. Decorated with a glaze and a gold splatter, the tutorial for these cookie is easy and fun!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Category: Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean extract

For the icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 36 tablespoons of milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate your cookies, you will need

  • Food grade gold lustre dust (see notes)
  • Clear extract or liquor (I use clear vanilla or vodka)
  • A silicone basting brush

Instructions

To prepare the cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grind the lavender slightly using a food processor, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle. Combine the lavender and remaining dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and extract and cream until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir on low just until combined.
  4. Dump the dough crumbles out on to a lightly floured surface and work together into one ball with your hands. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to just over 1/4″ thicken and use a medium sized cookie cutter to cut shapes. If the dough ever gets too soft, refrigerate briefly.
  5. Place shapes on a baking sheet and freeze briefly for about 5 minutes.
  6. Once chilled, bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes and then cool on a cooling rack. Allow cookies to cool completely prior to icing.

For the icing

  1. Sift or whisk powdered sugar to remove lumps.
  2. Add 3 tablespoons of the milk and the extract, whisking until combined. Continue to add milk until it is the right viscosity. You will want thicker frosting for piping. To test viscosity, run your whisk or a knife through the bowl of frosting- your frosting should slowly move back together until you can’t see any trace of the whisk any longer. This process should take about 6-8 seconds. If the frosting is too thick, it will not pool back together, and if it is too thin, it will pool back together too quickly. Add more milk for a thinner icing and more powdered sugar if your icing becomes too thin.
  3. Cover tightly in a tupperware or with a wet paper towel if you are not using it immediately, as frosting will dry out and become clumpy. Whisk occasionally and add more milk if it becomes too thick.
  4. When ready to frost your cookies, cover your work space in wax paper. Set out some cookie racks to place your frosted cookies on. To frost, hold each cookie by its rim and dip the face of it directly into the icing. Allow any excess to drip off the sides. Add more milk or sugar, if desired, to modify the consistency of your icing.

To decorate your cookies

  1. Cover your workspace in parchment or wax paper. Lay dry, frosted cookies out on the paper.
  2. Scoop 1/4 teaspoon lustre dust into a small dish and add 1/8 teaspoon of extract or liquor. Stir until the lustre dust is all dissolved. You can add an additional 1/8 teaspoon of liquor, if needed, but take care to not add too much, as this can cause your sugar icing to dissolve and bubble up.
  3. Dip a silicone basting brush in the liquid gold, and dab any excess off on the side of the bowl. Do a test splatter on a paper towel or extra sheet of wax paper. To splatter, I hold my silicone brush parallel to the work surface, draw back slightly at the wrist, and then fling the brush downward, like you’re swatting a fly or hitting a drum. The size and shape of your silicone bristles can change the way your splatter looks, so do a few test splatters before you move to your cookies. Once ready to decorate your cookies, splatter then in the same manner you did your tester and allow to dry completely before packing or storing.

Notes

  • For a deeper, more concentrated gold color, use as little alcohol as you can. The more liquid in the splatter, the lighter it will be.
  • I tested this technique using a natural hair basting brush and it was not successful. I recommend a silicone brush for best effect.
  • If desired, you can pipe the icing on your cookies for a more polished, perfected look. There is a tutorial for this in the cookies archives of my blog. You will need you frosting to be a bit thicker.
  • Be sure to purchase food grade, edible lustre dust. I purchased mine on Amazon!

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Adapted from: Bridget Edwards

Lemon Lavender Cookies

Lemon Lavender Cookies Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood. Just a few ingredients, lemon zest, sugar, and dried culinary lavender is all it takes to make this simple powdered sugar covered cookies. Similar to mexican wedding cookies. Makes tiny mini cookies. Floral and fragrant. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

I should start this post with a disclaimer: I love my husband.

If you know Brett, take this time to jot a mental list of his lovable, noteworthy qualities– there’s plenty to boast of. If you don’t know my husband, let me give you the CliffsNotes version: he’s hardworking, funny, incredibly personable, and at an age that I jokingly describe as “halfway to 70”, he’s got muscles that laugh at any notion of a “Dad Bod”. My husband is pretty much the tops and I wouldn’t trade him for a million Ryan Reynolds (and that’s a huge deal, am I right, ladies??)

Lemon Lavender Cookies Recipe

With all that being said, Brett and I have a clear understanding that if, in a tragic twist of fate, Brett is no longer my husband, I will re-marry a Frenchman. Unabashedly, I will take our children, move to France, and marry the first God-fearing, chateau-living, beret-wearing Frenchman that I can find. I have no shame in saying this and Brett is fully aware of my intentions, as we have outlined them in a Sheldon Cooper-esque clause of our unspoken relationship agreement.

For years, I have had a love and admiration for French culture. I love the art, the buildings, the delicately perfect desserts, and the flowery sound of the language. I love the way I feel in Paris and my memories from my visits there are some of my favorite that I have. Yes, my mind is made up and it’s settled: If I’m every unfortunate enough to find myself without Brett, I will find myself in France.

Lemon Lavender Cookies Recipe

 

These lemon lavender cookies remind me of my imaginary life in France. Dainty, buttery, little bite-sized chews of lavender scented lemon cookies taste like the air smells in Provence and make me feel like I’m maybe doing something that Julia Child did in her kitchen. The recipe is a variation of my crispy butter pecan cookies, however, without the nuts, these cookies remain soft and chewy. With only 6 ingredients and 10 minutes of bake time, these lemon lavender cookies are a cinch to whip up. These bite-sized cookies taste delicious as a treat to pair with morning coffee, afternoon tea, or an evening glass of bubbly champagne. 

While lemon lavender cookies don’t taste nearly as good as being married to my husband feels, I’ll take 2 or 10 of these cookies as a little bite of France any day of the week. And in the meantime, I’ll settle for French braids, fries, and kisses. 

Lemon Lavender Cookies Recipe

 

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Lemon Lavender Cookies

These lemon lavender cookies are buttery and floral bite-sized cookies that bake up quick and taste delicious!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon culinary lavender
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Additional confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Put butter into a food processor, mini chopper, or stand mixer and process until smooth. Add sugar and pulse until combined and smooth. Add the zest, lavender, and salt, pulsing to combine. Finally, add the flour and pulse just until flour is barely integrated and dough forms big crumbles.
  3. Scoop 2 teaspoons sized balls of dough (I use a small cookie scoop) out on to a baking sheet covered with parchment or a Silpat. Roll dough in between hands to make small rounds. The dough will be pretty dry, this is normal.
  4. Bake for about 11 minutes or until cookies’ edges set and the bottoms are golden brown. Be careful when handling!
  5. Once cooled, dust or toss cookies in a generous amount of powdered sugar.

Notes

  • These cookies are tiny and are best eaten the day of.
  • Feel free to double the batch! It makes just a few cookies.

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