Lemon, Coconut, and Lavender Tarts

While the month of April has mainly consisted of torrential downpours, flooded sidewalks, and even a touch of snow (ugh!), this past weekend was a lovely and sunny exception. I finally had the chance to step out of my galoshes, slip into some walking shoes, and explore spring in Chicago. First stop: The Spice House, where I was completely taken by a little bag of lavender buds. As you can see, those tiny purple flowers were the inspiration for my latest baking endeavor. I also purchased some lavender-vanilla sugar, which is good on pretty much EVERYTHING! Seriously, I sprinkled some on my pancakes this morning and it took them from an average 7 to about a 10/10. If you ever get the chance to go to a Spice House, do it! Though I must warn you, walking into the shop is an assault on the senses. After about twenty-five minutes of perusing the spice shelves, I was in need of some fresh, non-fragrant air. :)

In my mind, lavender is meant to be one of those subtle spices. I currently have a jar of lavender honey and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread -- the hint of lavender compliments the sweetness of the honey without being too overpowering. With my tarts, I was aiming for a similar taste. I wanted to let the lemon and coconut shine, with hints of lavender floating around and gently surprising the taste buds. Maybe I put too much thought into that. Oh well...

Here are some pretty flowers for you!

You know what? I've noted something recently... When one area of my life gets crazy busy, all of the other parts are like "I want in on the crazy too!" and then, before I know it, I am running all over the place, overbooking my schedule, forgetting about appointments, and acting like a complete maniac. Anyway, what I really want to say is that I'm hoping these tasty little tarts will make up for my lack of posts lately.