Lavender Mint Dream Cheesecake

Don’t you agree that Lavender Mint Dream Cheesecake sounds so decadent? Or should I say dreamy?

I have a few favorite desserts and cheesecake is one of them. I admit this recipe was a bit of a challenge. It took a couple of times to get the taste of the Lavender Mint Dream the way I wanted it to have. This is a very mild recipe with just a touch of the Lavender Mint Dream present.

I selected the Lavender Mint Dream for this recipe as lavender pairs really well with baked goods. I enjoy using it in small amounts by itself when baking as it can be very overpowering. But here, combined with the peppermint and chamomile in my Lavender Mint Dream, it has the perfect balance.

Part of the success is in using a lot of tea for a small amount of water and letting it steep longer than you would when drinking a cup. I use both the liquid and the softened herbs in the recipe to get the flavor I wanted. My first go at it was with just the liquid and it really was not as strong a taste as I wanted. The herbs also give texture and color to the cheesecake too that I find perfect for this time of year.

Create the recipe, make a pot of tea, and take it all outside to enjoy the view and sounds of a warm summer night.

Lavender Mint Dream Cheesecake

Makes an 8” cheesecake

Lavender Mint Dream prepared tisane

2 ½ Tablespoons Lavender Mint Dream

¼ cup Hot Water

Instructions:

• Place Lavender Mint Dream in glass measuring cup
• Pour the hot water over the tea
• Stir and let steep until cool, about 30 minutes
• Set aside for use in recipe below

Crust

2 cups crushed Graham Crackers (I use Gluten-Free ones here)

¼ cup Ghee or Butter, melted

1 Tablespoon of Steeped Lavender Mint Dream (liquid and herbs)

Filling

2 packages Cream Cheese, softened

2/3 cup Coconut Sugar

2 teaspoon Gluten-Free Flour

½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 ½ Tablespoons Steeped Lavender Mint Dream (liquid and herbs)

2 Eggs, set out to bring closer to room temperature

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375° (350° if you have a dark springform pan like mine)
• Crush the graham crackers and melt the butter or ghee
• In a medium bowl, combine graham crackers, melted butter, and steeped tea
• Blend until the graham crackers have absorbed all the liquid
• Press into the bottom and 1” up the sides of the pan
• Set aside
• In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and coconut sugar
• Blend until well combined and then some
• Blend in the flour, vanilla, and Lavender Mint Dream
• Add the eggs and combine well
• Pour the filling into the pan
• Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, checking at 30 minutes, until the cheesecake is mostly set with a little wobble in the center
• Remove from oven and set pan on a wire rack
• Cool for 30 minutes and remove springform
• Cool completely then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours

Herb Spotlight: Chamomile

Chamomile is an herb I did not appreciate when younger. I just never cared for the taste of it. But maybe that is more from the way I tried it. The whole chamomile flowers are added into my Lavender Mint Dream tisane. With the blend of chamomile, lavender, and mint, it is a more enjoyable beverage for me. I enjoy the taste while getting the benefits of chamomile.

Our tisane incorporates German chamomile (Matricaria recutita). It is native to Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The plant reaches to 3 feet although some wild varieties are low growing. German chamomile is an annual, grows up to 3’. Flowers are harvested between May and August.

Energetically, chamomile is bitter, spicy, but also a little neutral.(1)  The herb is a nervine, sedative, and mildly astringent. It is most often used to calm nervous tension in the stomach, anxiety, insomnia, menstrual disorders, headaches, hay fever, Crohn’s disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. (1, 2, 3)

If using this herb to help with digestive problems, drink a cup after meals. The herb helps to increase intestinal peristalsis while relaxing the central nervous system. (2) Chamomile is frequently used to lessen an allergic reaction. The volatile oil, chamazulene, in the flowers can help to inhibit allergic responses. (4, 5)

It is recommended you avoid chamomile if you have asthma or are allergic to asters, daisies, chrysanthemums, or ragweed. There may also be an increased risk of miscarriage if pregnant. Chamomile may also interact with medications, increasing the risk of bleeding and may increase the effects of medications such as sedatives. If you have questions about herb-drug interactions, contact your physician.

While I love the herb in my Lavender Mint Dream tisane, you can also try chamomile in your bath to help relieve stress and sore muscles. Using it in this way, you can breathe the scent to ease anxious feelings as well. (6)

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1. Hoffmann, David (2013). The Complete Herbs Sourcebook. China: Harper Collins.

2. Srivastava, Janmejai K., Shankar, Eswar, Gupta, Sanjay. Chamomile: A Herbal Medicine of the Past with Bright Future. Published November 1, 2010. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

3. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). Herbwisdom.com. Retrieved on November 8, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-chamomile.html

4. Balch, Phyllis A. CNC (2012). Prescription for Herbal Healing 2nd edition. New York: Avery, Penguin Publishing Group.

5. Stuart, Armando Gonzalez, Ph.D. Chamomile. Published 2004. Retrieved from http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/chamomile.pdf

6. Gladstar, Rosemary (2012). Rosesmary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing.