Since we moved to an apple farm/orchard with over 50 trees full of delicious vintage apples I have been looking high and low for a good caramel dipping sauce recipe.  Well, the search is over.  Here it is.  If it is not THE best caramel sauce you've ever had, then... something is wrong with your taste buds. 

*just kidding - kindof* ;)

C a r a m e l   S a u c e 

(with a little peggy twist) 

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon culinary lavender (peggy-twist)

PEGGY-TWIST (YUM!): Steep lavender in whipping cream. 

How to steep lavender: 

in a medium saucepan bring whipping cream and lavender to a slow boil over medium-high heat; stirring constantly.  Remove from stove and separate lavender from the whipping cream, with a fine strainer, picture below. (it's ok if a couple of lavender buds slip through).

NOW GO ON WITH THE ORIGINAL RECIPE...

ORIGINAL RECIPE: Bring the above ingredients to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.  To reheat, microwave at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds or just until warm; stir until smooth.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

pic1: the cream and lavender (after steeping), pic2: adding butter and brown sugar 

pic3: as all the ingredients are melting

Above picture: lavender being separated from cream after being steeped

(basically, this is how the cream takes on the lavender flavor)

*Recipe courtesy of Southern Living

P l u m    T a r t    T a t i n

It's time for picking plums.  My daughter has about 8 Italian plum trees in her front yard.  Last year they had a small crop, so this year they had a ton of plums.  A delicious and simple recipe I like to make during this season is a plum tatin (pronounced ta-tan).

P l u m  T a r t  T a t i n

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
1 egg yolk
2 pounds firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.

Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

recipe courtesy of Food Network

 L a v e n d e r   L o t i o n   S t i c k 

Here is a behind the scenes look at how we make our lavender lotion sticks.  My wonderful assistant Michelle has perfected this process.  Above are some pictures of just a few of the steps in making our lotion sticks.  Beeswax pellets (above right) are carefully weighed and blended with cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil, vitamin E and then infused with lavender and citrus-basil essential oils.  Guaranteed to keep your hands soft and smelling wonderful. 

Our lotion stick is perfect for your purse, and the smells of basil , citrus and lavender are fantastic. You can use it anywhere, on your lips as a lip balm or on your little one's hands during the dry Summer heat or cold Winter air. 

N O W   F O R   T H E   R E C I P E . . .

It's harvest time!  This last week while my daughter was visiting from Alabama we had a mock Thanksgiving Dinner with turkey, homemade stuffing and rolls, turkey gravy, blue cheese salad and lavender cream of corn.  Below is a recipe for delicious homemade cream of corn, and of course I added a touch of lavender.

C r e a m   o f   C o r n 

(with a hint of lavender)

• 6 ears fresh corn
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup cream or half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp culinary lavender

Cut corn from cobs then scrape with a sharp knife to get all of the milk and pulp. Melt butter in a large skillet. Stir in corn, water, and sugar. Cook until corn is tender. Stir in salt and pepper, blending well. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. If you would like it to be a thicker consistancy, add flour a teaspoon at a time.  Cook for about 2 minutes longer. Do not let boil.

As the leaves begin to change color in the beautiful Cache Valley canyons and the temperature starts to drop we here at the Lavender Apple begin to get ready for the Holiday season that is quickly approaching.

We will be a part of a number of Holiday markets and shows this year and are putting together a variety of gift baskets that can be purchased for friends and family. 

above & below are just a few of our products that are a part of our bath & body, culinary and home goods line.

Our homemade jelly's are sure to please even the toughest critic.  The apple jelly is made with our own juice from our many vintage apple trees, which is infused with lavender.