Nectar of Venus Cordial: Recipe from The Essential Herb
This is where I order my herbs:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index2.html
This beverage needs to be made up early in January for use mid- February, but it will be worthwhile. The flowers give it a beautiful deep pink color, and can be served with ginger ale and lime slices.
The following ingredients should be placed in a ½ gallon jar with a tight fitting lid that allows for shaking. Be sure to label and date the jar. Put out of sunlight while it sits for 1-6 weeks. Shake occasionally. All herbs and flowers are dry.
- 1 fifth of good quality vodka
- ½ c red rose petals
- ½ c hibiscus flowers
- ½ c rose hips
- ½ c spearmint
- ¼ c granulated orange peel
- ¼ c cinnamon bark chips
After sitting this mixture is ready to decant. Strain through fine cheesecloth or muslin into a pitcher large enough to also hold the additional 5 cups of Grand Marnier and simple syrup (below).
- 1 c Grand Marnier
- 4 c simple syrup made from
- 2 c water, 2 c sugar1 T either rose water or orange blossom water.
Add these ingredients to the vodka mixture and blend well. Allow this to rest for a couple of weeks so that the flavors can become well acquainted. Pour into beautiful bottles, cork, label, and enjoy.
Ready for the Vodka
If you want to make the lavender sugar for the scones, the lavender sugar has to sit for a week before you use it on your recipes.
LAVENDER SUGAR
1 cup organic sugar (unprocessed sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw)
1 teaspoon culinary lavender buds
Mix sugar and lavender buds together, and place in airtight jar for one week before using.
LAVENDER/ROSE CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES
Makes 6 to 8 scones
2 1/2 cups all-purpose organic flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 teaspoons culinary lavender buds
1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) organic butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1 1/4 cups organic buttermilk, chilled
1 teaspoon rose hydrosol ,suitable for food and cosmetic use
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/fwater/fwater.html
1 organic egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Sift flour, baking soda, sugar and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Add lavender buds and chocolate chips. Work the butter cubes into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter (or you can use two knives) until it resembles loose crumbs.
With a spoon, gently mix in the buttermilk and rose hydrosol until just incorporated.
Pat the dough down with your hands, forming a 7-inch circle. Cut into 6 to 8 wedges for traditional, triangular-shaped scones, or cut rounds with a 2-inch cutter for flat, round scones. (You can also scoop dough with an ice cream scoop to get nice, rounded scones; that’s the method used at Cups.)
Place the scones on cookie sheet, glaze with egg mixture and top with lavender sugar (recipe follows) for a crunchy top.
Bake scones for 12 to 15 minutes; take them out of oven just as the tops begin to turn golden.
My picture below does not have the lavender sugar. Next time I will try the lavender sugar. Remember if you want to use the lavender sugar the recipe needs to sit for a week after you have made it. It takes about a week for the sugar to take on the lavender flavor. Enjoy....
