I was in the mood for some baking and my inspiration for this cookie came from a day visiting a lavender farm. I have always wanted to see fields of lavender so I went to Lavender By the Bay.

It's not a very large farm but it's charming. There is also a gift shop where you can purchase plants, skin care, essential oils and food products. Not only is lavender a beautiful flower, but it also has many health benefits. It is used for relaxing, promoting restful sleep, relieving skin itches and soothing upset stomachs. While I was at the farm, I purchased some English lavender. I find the flavor of English lavender to be sweeter and not as strong as French lavender. When you purchase lavender for cooking, make sure you buy food grade lavender that has not been sprayed with pesticide.

These cookie are rich and decadent. The outside of the cookies are crisp and the interior is fudgy. The flavor is predominately chocolate and at the end there is a hint of lavender.

Chocolate Lavender Cookies

• 2 tbsp dried lavender buds
• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 340g bittersweet chocolate, chopped small
• 80g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 190g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g miniautre semisweet chocolate chips
• 110g walnuts, coarsely chopped

Place the lavender and the butter into a small bowl over simmering water. When the butter has melted let the lavender steep for about 15 mins. Strain the warm butter over the chopped chocolate, gently pushing on the lavender buds with a rubber spatula. Discard the lavender buds. Let the chocolate soften for a few minutes. Stir to combine.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl, set aside. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Add in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Cover the cookie mixture and leave in the refrigerator for an hour so the cookie dough can firm up. This will prevent the cookies from spreading thin while baking.

Scoop the cookies and place on a lined sheet pan.
Tip: I like to use a 2ounce ice cream scooper to portion the cookie dough. By using an ice cream scooper, all the cookies will be the same size and will bake evenly in the oven. If you don't have an ice cream scooper, you can use a tablespoon to scoop out the cookie dough.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 350F oven for about 20-25 minutes. Since these cookies do not contain a large amount of flour, they will feel soft to the touch even though they are done. Once they cool, the cookies will firm up. These chocolate lavender cookies will satisfy any chocoholics. Enjoy!