I like to think of lavender and peppercorns as a tale of enemies to lovers. At first they may seem at odds but the way the compliment each other becomes begrudgingly apparent after introduction.
INGREDIENTS
LAVENDER PEPPERCORN SYRUP
200g cane sugar
100ml water
5.5g fresh lavender
10g whole peppercorns - When initially developing this recipe, I used an equal parts blend of white, pink, and black peppercorns. However, I would suggest just sticking with black peppercorns if you're using only one type.
LAVENDER SPRITZ
3g fresh lavender
80ml water
SUMMER'S LIGHT LATTE
20ml lavender peppercorn syrup
40ml espresso
200ml milk of choice
Two spritzes of lavender tea
BUILD
Lightly toast your peppercorns in a saucepan until fragrant before coarsely grinding, you can use a spice grinder or a mortar & pestle.
To a saucepan, add the cane sugar, water, lavender, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer until all sugar is melted and then remove from heat, allowing it to cool and the flavors to continue to bloom. Once cool, strain out the solids and bottle it.
To make your garnishing spritz, bring water to 95 degrees celsius and steep the fresh lavender blossoms for 10 minutes. Remove the blossoms and allow the tea to cool to room temperature before transferring to an atomizer.
Add your lavender peppercorn syrup and freshly pulled espresso to a cup and stir. Steam your milk and pour your latte as usual. Holding the atomizer so it points across the top of the latte, give the drink two good spritzes of lavender essence. Garnish with a sprig of fresh lavender if desired.
This latte is can be enjoyed iced or hot.Â
