"Wow, It Doesn't Taste Like Soap!"

...exclaimed one of my co-workers after taking a bite of the hit of the holiday season...pumpkin lavender bread!!

A few years ago, I met Annie, a lavender farmer in the greater Triangle area, and bought some awesome hand cream, an eye mask, and culinary lavender.

It exists!

Having not used the lavender in awhile, I decided to find a recipe. I checked out the farm's facebook page and spotted the pumpkin lavender bread. I had all of the ingredients at home...can't get much better than that!

I first took the bread to the office. I figured this was a safe bet because students are not too discerning about free food. If it did not taste good, the bread would still get eaten.

First bite...awesome! It has now made the rounds of Christmas Eve and Day, the Framily Dinner, a baby shower, leftovers at Bible study, a fraternity retreat, and somewhere else that I can't remember!

Here's the recipe...

3 cups all-purpose flour (I bake with 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour to all-purpose)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon (or to taste) finely ground Culinary Lavender
1 15-ounce canned pumpkin (or about 2 cups homemade)
2/3 cup salad oil (I use Smart Balance)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
extra dried lavender
sugar crystals, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease well, two 9” x 5” loaf pans. In a large bowl,
with fork, mix flour with next 5 ingredients. (For the Culinary Lavender, try
adding 1/4 teaspoon at a time since a little goes a long way. Some like the
subtle taste, some like a little more. If you add too much, bitter will be the
result, so add carefully and like all great cooks, taste as you go.) Add
remaining ingredients and mix just until blended. Pour batter into pans.
Sprinkle some dried lavender and sugar crystals on top, for a really nice
finish.

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool
in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on
racks. When cool, wrap each loaf and store at room temperature. Makes 2 loaves.

Yum!