Lavender is one of my favorite garden flowers. The fragrance is intense yet down-to-earth, a little exotic and dreamy. Most people associate it with English soap or tea. Ahh- it's restful.

But, even more fun comes with cooking with lavender. I have made lavender iced tea, lavender sugar cookies, lavender pound cake, apricot halves stuffed with lavender infused cream cheese, used lavender as a garnish, and lavender butter for scones. By far, the most elegant and beautiful has been lavender jelly that I made for my guests at my first Friendship tea. The jelly was fabulously delicious!!

Here is the recipe:

Lavender Jelly (Victoria Magazine, August, 1995)

Lavender Infusion:
Three teaspoons dried Lavender flowers or one-half cup fresh lavender flowers
Three cups distilled water

Lavender Jelly:
one quarter cup cider vinegar
four cups sugar
one three oz. envelope liquid pectin
fresh lavender sprigs for garnish (optional)

Note: Use distilled water for the infusion to avoid chemicals in tap water that alter the color. The vinegar and pectin turn the infusion magenta (light) when making jelly.

To make infusion:
1. Place lavender flowers in medium bowl. Bring water to boil in non-reactive (enamel or stainless steel) saucepan. Pour over flowers.
2. Cover, let stand fifteen minutes. Strain. Reserve.

To make lavender jelly:
1. Measure 2 c. infusion into six-quart non-reactive pot. Stir in sugar and vinegar. Mix well.
2. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in pectin. Stir constantly and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
4. Boil for exactly one min., stirring constantly.
5. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Ladle jelly into sterilized half pint canning jars, leaving one-quarter in. head space. Seal with canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.
6. Cool upright on rack. Store in refrigerator up to one month. For longer storage, process hot jelly in boiling water bath five min. after sealing with lids. Yield: four half pints

Note: To garnish jelly with lavender sprigs, do not seal jars at first. Tent them loosely with plastic wrap. Cool on rack jive hrs. Using a narrow spatula, gently press lavender sprigs into jelly. Seal. Let stand 254 hrs. Refrigerate up to one month.

More ideas, try :http://www.whatscookingamerica.net/Lavender.htm