Make Mine Lavender Please!

Lavender is a color that is associated with spring flowers, peace, Royalty and spirituality.

Lavender has the potential to look

very soft and very feminine.

Estelle's is preparing ideas for spring decor on the Easter table and for celebrating a very special birthday. Can the color Lavender serve well for a male birthday celebration? Greg's birthday is the day before Easter and I have been noticing all the beautiful spring colors of the wildflowers and the bluebonnets. I adore this color of purple ever since my mother, Miss Helen, decided to paint their bedroom Lavender. She used to just salivate over paint colors of these shades of purple and decided upon a deep shade of Lavender. In one day, she had changed the entire feel of their bedroom, which softened the look of the room and she had accented the color with shades of cream, yellow and deep purple. And you know what, Daddy really liked it. His masculinity was not in the least bit bothered!

A lovely lavender pillow

Lavender Cache Pottery

Bold Deep Lavender Floral Print

Lavender Dining Nook with Lavender Home Accents

Lavender Beverage Glasses...I think I have to have these

Deep Lavender Tapestry Table Runner on Dining Buffet

Now, I know Miss Helen would have loved all of these ideas and would have wanted to incorporate these into her Mississippi home. I just love them too! Which brings me back to Greg's birthday and the color of Lavender on perhaps....cupcakes? When I asked him what his thoughts were on this, he thought about if for a while, before he replied, "Mom, if that's what you would like to make me for my birthday, I don't mind what color they are.....it just makes us happy ya'll are home!"....Aw, now is that a good son, or what!

Estelle's Buttermilk Birthday Cupcakes

3 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely before frosting!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing

2 1/2 cups sugar

10 large egg whites

4 cups (8 sticks or 2 pounds) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Lavender food color (I found this at Michael's)

Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don’t worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined. Add your food coloring to your desired shade, then mix in until well combined. Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Estelle's Sweet Tip....

You can also use this website to help you create the color you select for your recipes....this will guide you as to the exact number of drops to mix together for the desired shade.
http://www.mccormick.com/Products/Extracts-and-Food-Colors/FoodColors.aspx