Lemon Ice Box Pie Cupcakes with Lavender Benne Seed Shortbread Crust

Lemon ice box pie is the lemon version of key lime pie - with a small but important twist. On a hot, sticky Southern summer day, lemon ice box pie always beats out its key lime cousin because lemon ice box pie is served frozen!  I made my lemon ice box pie as jumbo cupcakes, ripe for sharing on the porch swing with a tall glass of sweet tea.

Rather than the traditional graham cracker crust, these lemon ice box pie cupcakes have a lavender benne seed shortbread crust.  The lavender is almost undetectable unless you are looking for it.  However, it adds a complex floral note that makes the cupcakes seem extra-special - even if you can't put your finger on why.

I topped the lemon ice box pie cupcakes with the biggest blackberries that I've ever seen and some lemon basil picked right off of the plant.  Think of the top of your lemon ice box pie cupcakes as a palette.  There's tons of room up there for whatever fresh fruit you can find!  If you are still looking for that perfect July 4th cupcake, lemon ice box cupcakes topped with red raspberries and blueberries would surely fit the bill. 

My favorite quote about these cupcakes came from my new friend, Amy, who said, "These are stooopid!"  You have to imagine her saying it with long Southern drawl on the "oooo" and you must realize that calling them "stooopid" was her utmost compliment!

Lavender Pear Cupcakes with Vosges Bianca Ganache: A Tale of Two Groups of Tasters

Lavender Pear Cupcake Warning

If you are going to bring lavender pear cupcakes to a party, do not bring them to someone's house who has just made lavender-scented soap.

My cupcakes and I arrived at a friend's house who just happened to have blocks and blocks of lavender soap sitting out on the table curing. As newbies to the world of culinary lavender, how could my friends help but make an association between the soap and the lavender pear cupcakes? Most of my friends loved the moistness of the cupcakes, but thought:

a) Lavender tastes like soap.
b) The white chocolate frosting looked like gravy.

Bride 2.0 was actually a fan of this cupcake but thought it was too springy for their fall wedding.

Lavender Pear Cupcake Tasters Other Than The Soap Bunch

The second group of cupcake tasters were a group St. Louis food bloggers at a food blogger potluck. The majority of this group were not only familiar with culinary lavender, but were fans of it. This group loved the cupcakes. I can only assume that they were being honest. However, I don't think the bloggers group would have told me if they thought the frosting looked like gravy. That's why I keep my good friends around.

To see all the potluck food and food bloggers eating the food, check out J. Pollack Photography and enter keyword FOODBLOG at the bottom of any page.


Lavender Pear Cupcake Recipe

I created this lavender pear cupcake recipe by adding lavender to the bubbly pear cupcake recipe on Yumsugar. I am reprinting the recipe below with my modification and notes.

makes 24-30 cupcakes

• 2 3/4 C flour
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 sticks of lavender butter (Make this the night before - refer to this lavender butter recipe)
• 2 C sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 3 medium sized pears (The Yumsugar recipe said to peel and grate them. I peeled and finely chopped them.)
• 1 C champagne

1. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until well mixed and airy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
4. Slowly add in flour mixture a little bit at a time until it is fully incorporated.
5. Stir in vanilla and champagne.
6. Stir in pears.
7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top bounces back when touched.

Vosges Bianca Couture Cocoa Ganache Recipe

For the white chocolate ganache, I used Vosges Bianca Couture Cocoa (No, they did not sponsor this post. I'll always let you know if I get something for free). This cocoa contains Australian lemon myrtle, lavender flowers, vanilla, and white chocolate. I should also explain that it is not traditional cocoa powder. It is little pieces of white chocolate with all the seasonings mixed in. If you enjoy white chocolate (I say this because I don't -- not even when it's particularly good white chocolate like this), you are sure to love this stuff.

It does however cost $17, so use any old white chocolate with some lavender flowers and vanilla if you would prefer.

• 1 box Vosges Bianca Couture Cocoa or 2 C white chocolate chopped into small pieces with 1/2 t of culinary lavender and 1 t of vanilla.
• 1/2 C heavy cream

1. Heat the heavy cream until it just starts to boil.
2. Pour over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted.
3. Let cool slightly and spread on the cupcakes.

Spring Fruit Sensations Monthly Mingle

I am entering these cupcakes into the Spring Fruit Sensations Monthly Mingle hosted by Eat the Right Stuff. Check there for more spring fruit cooking inspiration.

Lavender Butter Recipe: An Easy Way to Add Lavender Flavor to Any Cupcake

Culinary lavender adds a unique and Springy flavor to any dish. Lavender seems to be one of those love it or hate it flavors. Some can't get past the fact that it smells like soap or perfume. I can't blame them, since as many of you know, I can't eat mint because I can't get past the fact that it tastes like toothpaste.

If you are a lavender lover, an easy way to add lavender flavor to any of your cupcakes is to replace the butter with lavender butter.

Lavender butter would also be great on hot rolls. In addition, I learned from Kelly at Sounding my Barbaric Gulp that lavender butter is great on artichokes.

Lavender Butter Recipe

The recipe for lavender butter is so easy that it is almost a stretch to call it a recipe.

• 1 stick of butter (8T) - Room temperature
• 1 t culinary lavender

In a food processor, cut the lavender into the butter until it is fully integrated. Wrap the lavender butter in parchment paper and store in the fridge. I would recommend leaving it the fridge at least overnight to give the flavor more time to absorb into the butter.

Check out my Lavender Pear Cupcakes.