Mrs Meiers oat bites 2 – soft Lavender

Light lavender fragrant healthy oat biscuits based on Mrs Meiers oat bites sweetened with natural zero calorie stevia sweetener.

July is lavender harvest season, most us enjoy the fragrant calming lavender plants in our gardens.

I got mine from a Lavender farm on the isle of Jersey, after having taken a tour and tasting the large variety of treats at the farms tea room, I couldn’t go home without taking a couple of small plants for my front garden. The plants have established very well and have grown larger each year. Every year when the flowers are just about to wilt I cut them down, tie them into a bunch and hang them up to dry. Later, I rub the petal buds off the stalk and keep them in an airtight glass for cooking throughout the year. If you are not sure when the best time is to harvest your lavender check this nice guide by notmartha, she explains it very well with images and smell descriptions.

Since my visit to the Lavender farms tea room, I say why just enjoy the fragrance in summer or essential oils. Finding out Lavender is an edible flower got me exited to try it in more dishes. Now I celebrate the start of summer with one of the lavender chill out recipes.

An easy recipe to start with is the original Mrs Meiers oat bites recipe I posted in January which I adapted to have a unique summery twist. I found using lavender sparingly on its own or with other garden herbs to add flavour never failed to impress family and friends that had never tried lavender flavoured food.

You might find some of your taste testers are apprehensive, thinking it might taste like soap or perfume, they may need gentle encouragement to give it a go – but they will soon be won over by the delicate unique flavour experience. The main thing to bear in mind is to use a very small amount of these powerful fragrant petals and all will be fine.

The recipe has everything a healthy snack needs – sugar and fat free, oats to keep you full and satisfied – natural sweetness – sesame and linseed for good oils and vitamins and coconut, and subtle calming lavender fragrance.

The health benefits of Lavender include its ability to calm and reduce nervous tension, relieve pain, the essential oil can be used to disinfect scalp and skin, furthermore it can enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. The Latin name is Lavare, which means “to wash”, this may stem from its aroma that triggers a perception of cleanliness.

Lavender is in good company with Stevia, both have anti-inflammatory properties.

The lavender bites make a unique personal gift especially when using your own harvest.

 

Makes approx 30 pieces formed with a tea spoon

Prep time: 5min

Soak time: 20-30min

 

 

 

Baking time: 15-20min in 180 degree Celsius preheated oven

You need:

• 2 cups – Oats
• 1 teesp. Dried lavender petals
• 1 cup – Desiccated Coconut unsweetened
• 1 cup – (Yellow) Raisins (you can use less if you want to save more calories)
• 1 tbsp Linseed
• 1 tbsp Sesame seed
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups – warm Milk – I used skimmed 0.3% fat.
• 2-3 knife-tips Stevia-sweet 90% powder dissolved in 1 table spoons hot water

Note: getting the sweetness to the desired level is a matter of trial and error, the best thing is to start with a smaller amount of whatever Stevia you have on hand, it can be ready-use, liquid or tabs (need to be dissolved too), adding more is easier than diluting – you could end up with a huge amount of treat -Don’t have any Stevia yet? – you can always use normal sweetener products until you are set up.

 

Instructions:

Start by putting all dry ingredients together and mix including the lavender, take care not to add too much, or it will taste soapy.

Add the Stevia-sweet 90% into the warmed up milk, make sure its dissolved ok and add into dry ingredients.

Stir until everything is combined, check that sweetness is ok for your liking – if not just dissolve another portion of Stevia in a tablespoon of hot water and add.

Leave mix to sit so that all the ingredients can soak up all the milk.

Get the baking tray ready with a liner sheet and make small drops with a teaspoon until the mix is used up.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15-20min – maybe turn the tray around half way through the baking time to get the bites an even, golden brown.

Leave to cool on a cooling grid and then enjoy. They keep in a tin for around a week.

 

Here some more links for inspiration on baking/ cooking with Lavender:

http://www.jerseylavender.co.uk/content/490/Cooking-with-Lavender/

http://www.jardindusoleil.com/resources/lavender-recipes

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Lavender.htm

 

 

Here’s the nutritional information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy the summer flavour.

Have you made sweets with lavender flavour before? Send me your recipe to add to the collection.

 

 

MK xx