Lavender Brownies

This recipe is from The San Jose Mercury News. "Adding a tablespoon of lavender buds to 1 cup of sugar yields a very light lavender aroma. For a more intense flavor, add another teaspoon of buds."

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Yields: 16 brownies

Ingredients

• 10  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 1  tablespoon  lavender buds
• 1  teaspoon  lavender buds
• 3⁄4 cup  plus 2 tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs
• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Put sugar and lavender buds in a food processor and pulse together.
2. Set a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add butter, lavender sugar, cocoa and salt, stirring occasionally until the butter melts and the mixture becomes fairly smooth and hot. Remove from heat and let cool until the mixture is warm.
3. With a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, then add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. The mixture will be smooth and shiny. Add the flour and stir until well incorporated, then stir the mixture vigorously for 40 more strokes. Pour into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil, making sure two ends overhang the edges of the pan.
4. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a bit of batter on it. Let pan cool completely on a wire rack, then use the ends of the foil or parchment to lift the brownies out.