Florals for spring? Absolutely. It’s lilac season in Canada and the aroma of sweet lilac buds fills the air. When you think of cooking or baking with flowers, lilacs might not be at the top of the list, but they should be! Other florals like lavender, pansies and marigolds are often used in many springtime recipes from muffins to cakes for both decoration and flavour. For this recipe, I wanted to take my favourite flower and infuse it into one of the most iconic desserts: tiramisu! Lavender naturally pairs so well with creams for dessert, and the addition of Canadian-grown lilacs takes this floral tiramisu to the next level. If you’re looking for a refreshing, lucious and caffeine-free dessert, this lilac and lavender cream tiramisu truly is the crème de la crème.
Related: Baklava French Toast Bake
ingredients
Lilac Sugar
Lavender Cream
Lilac Mascarpone Cream
Assembly
directions
In an air-tight container, combine sugar and fresh lilac flowers. Store in a dark place overnight to infuse scent and flavours.
For the lavender cream, steep lavender buds in ½ cup boiling water for 5 minutes to make lavender tea. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the lavender tea, heavy cream and Grand Marnier. Set aside.
For the lilac mascarpone cream, in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine heavy cream, ¾ of the lilac sugar and vanilla. Mix until stiff peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese and mix for another 2 minutes until just just combined.
One at a time, soak lady fingers in lavender cream mixture on both sides for 5-10 seconds each or until moist and place them evenly in a 5 x 7-inch glass container.
With an icing spatula, layer lilac mascarpone over the lady fingers and sprinkle with lilac sugar.
Repeat step 5 with remaining cream, lady fingers and lilac sugar. The tiramisu should have at least 2 layers of cream and lady fingers.
Sprinkle lavender buds, lilac flowers and lilac sugar (to taste) on the top layer. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 days.
