Lavender Honey Cheesecake
Prep: 25 min. + chilling
Makes: 16 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons dried lavender flowers, divided
1/4 cup boiling water
1-1/2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (about 21 cookies)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup honey
1-1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
Lavender sugar and fresh mint leaves, optional
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of lavender and water. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain water, discarding lavender. Set aside.
Crush remaining lavender flowers. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter, and crushed lavender. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and honey until smooth. Gradually beat in lavender water. In another bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the filling. Spoon over crust.
Refrigerate overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen; remove the sides of the pan. If desired, sprinkle with lavender sugar and mint leaves.
Notes:
Look for dried lavender flowers in spice shops. If using lavender from the garden, make sure it hasn’t been treated with chemicals.
Nutritional Facts:
1 slice: 322 calories, 23g fat (13g saturated fat), 62mg cholesterol, 181mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.
Enjoy!