Lavender Butterfly Peaflower Custard. Lavender & Butterfly Peaflower are both calming herbs that clear the mind. Lavendula angustifolia is “the broom of the brain” as she clears out mental clutter, and is a warming relaxing nervine. And Butterfly Peaflower, Clitoria ternata, also has many safe traditional uses as food & medicine in SE Asia. Also this flower turns food beautiful colors from blues to pinks & purples. I was gifted these flowers by a Vietnamese friend. But I noticed they also sell these flowers in Ruohonjuuri in Helsinki. The scent taste & effect of this custard is absolutely divine. Recipe adapted from one of my favorite herb books Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee De Laforet. Recipe ingredients: 2 cups whole milk (I substituted 1 cup coconut milk with 1 cup heavy coconut cream.) 1 TBSP dried lavender flowers, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup honey, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla bean powder, 1 tsp organic orange extract. Plus I added 1/2 tsp butterfly pea flower powder. Directions: add lavender flowers to milk and simmer medium low heat for 10 minutes until milk starts to bubble. Turn off heat and let infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and add butterfly pea flower powder. Stir until dissolved. Let milk cool for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C). Mix all other ingredients together. Slowly add milk to ingredients, stirring constantly. Fill dish with custard, and place this dish inside of another dish filled with hot water. Make sure that there is enough hot water that the hot water reaches halfway up the side of the custard dish. Place both dishes together in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The custard is done when it has a slight jiggle and the top shows some hints of darkness. Remove from oven. Let cool and then store in refrigerator overnight. Serve cold. Enjoy!
