Lavender & Rose Petal Brownies
These brownies are made with a combination of lavender and rose petals. I’m obsessed with flowers and herbs and try to use as many as I can in the foods I consume. This is doubly true for baked goods.
I purchase most of my culinary edible flowers online but you could also forage for them in the summer if you like. When sourcing these gorgeous flowers, make sure the variety of lavender you use is culinary grade. I like to get mine from Mountain Rose Herbs or Home Folk when I’m buying my herbs.
Ingredients & Substitutions:
Tigernut flour: Tigernuts are not actually nuts at all but small tuberous vegetables that are grown similarly to potatoes. They have a sweet, nutty taste and have a number of nutrient dense health benefits. Most importantly, they are 100% anti-inflammatory. I would best describe the tigernut as a fantastic replacement for almond flour. Whereas almond flour can be a source of inflammation for many folks, tigernuts have no known inflammatory markers making them a safe and delicious flour to consume. If you don’t have access to tigernut flour, you may use almond flour instead. It has a similar texture but comes from the almond nut whereas tigernuts are not a nut at all but a tuber. I use the gemini brand of tigernut flour which can be purchased at whole foods or on amazon.
Almond Flour: Almond flour is made from blanched ground almonds. Do not confuse this for almond meal which includes grinding the skin. Almond meal is course and will not work the same in recipes. Look for fine ground blanched almond flour. If you are allergic to almonds, tiger nut flour is an excellent alternative to try. If you’re allergic to nuts or avoiding almonds while on the autoimmune protocol, you can substitute Tigernut flour in many recipes as a 1:1 sub. I usually purchase my almond flour from Trader Joe’s or Anthony’s on Amazon.
Plantain Flour: Plantain flour is made from unripe green plantains, is dehydrated and then ground into a flour. If you can’t find any, a good substitute is green banana flour which is made in the same way. If you’re still having a hard time, substitute cassava flour.
Cassava: Cassava is native to Brazil and South America. It’s similar in shape to a sweet potato but is longer and brown on the outside. Inside the flesh is white. Like sweet potatoes and yams, cassava is also a tuber that is often made into a flour or is eaten on it’s own just like a potato. This root vegetable can be use as a substitute for many potato based recipes. Its flour may also act as a 1:1 flour replace in some recipes as well. Cassava flour is a fantastic anti-inflammatory plant to use. You may try substituting with tapioca flour which is derived from the cassava root. Or, you may try almond flour as well.
Please note, I have not tried subbing cassava flour for tapioca or almond flour in this recipe but if you do, let me know how it works out!
Eggs & Gelatin: If you are allergic to eggs, you may use gelatin as a substitute instead. Gelatin is the safest alternative for folks with allergies and gut health issues. I recommend using bovine gelatin to replace your egg. See notes below for how to make it
How to make a gelatin egg:
To make your gelatin egg, bring a small amount of water to a boil. Add 2 tbsp boiling water and 1 tbsp room temperature to a small dish. Then slowly pour in 1 scoop or 10g of bovine gelatin to the mixture. As you pour, stir with a spoon or chopstick to ensure you get a smooth blend. Pour this mixture directly into your bake. It will harden as you continue working.
Ingredients:
140g banana (or 1 large banana)
111g avocado (or half of an avocado)
1/4 cup tigernut flour or almond flour
1/4 cup plantain flour (sub more cassava or green banana flour)
1/2 cup cassava flour
1 tsp baking soda or grain free baking soda
1/2 cup carob powder
1-2 tsp dried & crushed lavendar
handful of rose petals
cinnamon, to taste
60g collagen
10g gelatin +1 tbsp room temp water + 2 tbsp boiling water (sub 1 egg) * see notes for how to make a gelatin egg if that’s what you’re using.
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup 100% dark chocolate chips
Sea salt chunks
Preparations:
All all ingredients to a food processor. If using a gelatin egg, make it an add it in after blending everything together. If using an egg, add it into the batter now.
Blend the batter until smooth. Then, make your gelatin egg and stir it in and immediately add in a 1/4 cup of the dark chocolate chips by hand. Reserve the other 1/4 cup for later.
Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle some lavender or rose petals on top and then transfer to an oven and bake for 25-30 min at 350F. Remove when a toothpick comes out clean.
Once the brownie has cooled down, melt the remainder 1/4 cup of c in a microwave or on your stove for about 30 seconds. I use a tiny saucepan on my stove for this. Then, pour it over the cooled brownies. Let the chocolate settle.
You may consume these immediately or allow the chocolate to set first.