New York farmers' markets are chock-full of lavender come spring. When you walk through Union Square or down Broadway, the usual smells of the city—exhaust, stale canola, a certain unpleasant je ne sais quois—are disrupted by little whiffs of clean florals. For a millisecond, you can forget that you're in the middle of a million people elbowing each other for cider doughnuts. For a brief moment, you can relax. The very smell of lavender can work wonders, but why not try a stronger dose for an afternoon pick-me-up?
Here are 8 lavender sweets to calm you down on those days:
Oatmeal and Lavender Shortbread by QueenSashy
![](https://images.food52.com/pPTT8ZrUiujFe_c7fFhjB1jEkZw=/a6dff44c-1d9b-4413-aa94-68efce3cec55--CP_Shortbread3.jpeg)
Lemon Lavender Polenta Cake by Chrissie
![](https://images.food52.com/3KFXCO3uQ-s0a8qmUQr3nDqkdDA=/3dffc06f-5f81-4625-9e97-9ee9764d5708--2015_0112_lavendar-polenta-cake-5670.jpg)
Homemade Vanilla and Lavender Extracts by Trisha Jones
![](https://images.food52.com/3Z_kD1sz5krYDf7YvW0Z7C6cNq4=/0c6647a1-5654-4b54-9d0a-22828c470476--vanilla.JPG)
Chocolate-Covered Lavender Caramels by Em Hassan
![](https://images.food52.com/-juGmrxVneztsas9S7BovIMtERI=/15f5ca7e-88f2-4aef-be1d-be80cf813240--birdseye_caramels_copy.jpg)
Grilled Figs with Homemade Lavender Crème Fraîche by Beth Kirby | {local milk}
![](https://images.food52.com/AbQ-il0gszrGEW3LOP6OWD3b0No=/f10d0345-defa-4e4a-9d0b-25e21a93d81a--Y75A9697.jpg)
Strawberries with Lavender Biscuits by Sara
![](https://images.food52.com/7vlRW17Qj78wKkrNyq4erNEVLw4=/3a103087-a8e7-4849-8fd5-ad4ae1e1ef13--062909F_0515.JPG)
Rhubarb Lavender Streusel Muffins by xuedanw
![](https://images.food52.com/X3_0vT_TQLbW3PHL_vZjhU1xzZo=/f18f54a5-1cb4-4da6-b85a-dfd0695d4373--2014-0429_WC_rhubarb-lavender-streusel-muffins-017.jpg)
Lavender-Chocolate Chunk Pancakes with Crème Fraîche by Fig Test Kitchen
![](https://images.food52.com/ODCQ3CgPCwDQm5S_owFA5x74DEY=/d485735b-940a-48e9-9bc2-fd53c6dff179--2013-0819_WC-lavendar-chocolate-pancakes-009.jpg)
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