BISCUITS WITH LAVENDER SUGAR

This recipe makes about a dozen biscuits.  Simple, easy, fragrant biscuits are always a hit for either breakfast or afternoon tea.

Yield:  Depending upon the cutter size, about a dozen biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2-cups all-purpose flour
• 2-teaspoons baking powder
• ¼-teaspoon baking soda
• ¼-teaspoon salt
• ½-cup unsalted butter, cold & sliced into about a dozen pieces
• ¾-cup cold buttermilk
• 1-Tablespoon melted butter
• Sprinkle of lavender sugar (recipe follows)

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450F.

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter with 2 knives or pastry blender until crumbly.  Stir in buttermilk just until moistened.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead about 10 times or until smooth.  Roll out dough to ¾ inch thickness.  Cut with a 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter, or use a juice glass.

Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet.  Brush biscuits with melted butter and sprinkle with lavender sugar.  Bake for 10 - 14 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve warm with butter & honey or jam.

Lavender Sugar:

• 1-cup sugar
• 1-vanilla bean, halved and snipped into pieces
• 1-Tablespoon dried lavender buds

In a spice or coffee grinder, pulse 2 tablespoons sugar with vanilla beans.  Transfer to a jar.

Then pulse the lavender with 1 tablespoon of the remaining sugar until finely ground.  Combine everything in the jar, cover tightly and let stand for about 5 days.

Enjoy!