Teatime Lavender Cupcakes

 Lately I've been loving using herbs and teas in sweets. From earl grey ice cream to rosemary shortbread, the idea is all over - and these cupcakes are a great example. A while back, I bought a big bag of "culinary lavender" for these shortbread cookies, and I've been trying to find other recipes to use it up. I've had my eye on this one for a while, so I decided to finally try it out.

 These are the perfect way to infuse some flowery flavor into a baked good without making it seem like a bite of perfume. A little bit of lavender is ground up into the sugar, and then sprinkled on top (use a sprig of lavender to garnish if you have it). The icing was interesting because it's kind of a take on royal icing - just egg white and confectioner's sugar. It's very sweet, but in a thin layer it's a nice contrast to the cake.
  These are perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Or for breakfast, because ya know... it's tea. Kind of.
   Enjoy!

Teatime Lavender Cupcakes
(from Cupcakes)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried lavender flowers (safe for culinary use)
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 egg white
lilac food coloring
dried or fresh lavender, for decorating

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, then line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Put the sugar and lavender flowers in a food processor and process briefly to combine. Tip the lavender sugar into a bowl with the butter and beat together until pale and fluffy.
Beat the eggs into the butter mixture, one at a time, then sift in the flour and fold in. Stir in the milk, then spoon the mixture into the muffin cups. Bake for about 18 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, gradually beat the confectioners' sugar into the egg white in a bowl, then add a few drops of food coloring and stir to achieve a lavender-colored icing. Spoon the icing over the cupcakes, then top each one with a sprig of fresh lavender (or a few bits of dried lavender). Let icing set before serving.
   -makes 12 cupcakes