Lavender-Honey-Walnut Bread with Lavender Cream

My husband Carl had the awesome idea of going with a family recipe and then adding my twist to it.  He's a pretty amazing man and has never steered me wrong in the almost 25 years that we've been together, plus he likes my cooking and has never complained.  Even when I was still learning to cook and made some pretty big disasters, he was always a trooper—but that's a story I'll have to share another time.

I have always told my family that for me, cooking is an expression of love.  A banana bread recipe that I've adapted for the recipe below was handed down to me from two amazing women whom I love and adore, my Grandma Edna Otterstetter and my mom Sharon Kresse.  My grandma left us a long time ago, but I will always have sweet memories of the three of us creating love through cooking for our family.

I am happy with the results of this recipe, it turned out better than I had hoped for.  It carries a hint of lavender, is slightly sweet and the lavender cream is a nice finish.  My husband and I enjoyed it with a cup of our Task Force Zulu Guatemalan Coffee.

I look forward to sharing it with my mom and the rest of our family very soon.

Happy Baking, Lori

Lavender-Honey-Walnut Bread with Lavender Cream

by Lori

Dry Ingredients

Mix in large mixing bowl:

1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour  

1 cup organic oats  

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 Tablespoons ground flax seed  

1 cup walnuts (break into coarse pieces)

Wet Ingredients

Mix in small mixing bowl:

Add 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons organic butter, softened

2 Tablespoons Sciabica's Lavender Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons organic turbinado sugar  

1/4 cup local honey  

1 cup over-ripe bananas

2 medium organic eggs 

Lavender Cream

8 ounces Organic Valley heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon Sciabica's Lavender Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons organic blue agave

Begin by placing a rack in the middle of your oven and heating to 350°F on bake.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl add softened butter, lavender olive oil and 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar.  Gently whip together and set aside for 20 minutes, so that the butter and sugar becomes infused with the lavender oil.  This will be called the butter mixture.

After 20 minutes has passed, add 1/4 cup honey to the butter mixture and slowly incorporate.  Next, add 1 cup mashed bananas to the butter mixture.  Whip 2 eggs in separate bowl then gently fold into the butter mixture.

Gently incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add your walnut pieces and do not over mix.

Liberally butter a 9 x 4 inch loaf pan and fill with the mixture.  Place in your heated oven at 350°F  for 40 to 50 minutes.  I live in a drier, high altitude climate, so I baked my bread for 45 minutes instead of 50 minutes, and it came out perfectly brown on top.

Keep in mind that it will continue to cook for a few minutes once you have removed it from the oven.

Remove your bread from the oven and give it 2 or 3 minutes to cool, then place it on a cooling rack.

While it is cooling make your lavender cream. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer. Just add the organic whipping cream to the mixing bowl and whip until light and fluffy, then add the lavender olive oil and organic blue agave. Gently incorporate with a spatula, then refrigerate while your bread continues to cool.

Once the bread has cooled, gently slice with a serrated bread knife, garnish with lavender cream and enjoy.