Over the last school year, I found the community and connection I was searching for.

Now the town is dotted with faces I recognize instead of a bleak sea of strangers. I have friends to get coffee with now and I receive invitations to birthday parties where we aren’t the odd ones who don’t know anyone else. I now have a little work family to talk and listen to, who share in the stresses and joys of our very difficult task, and who lean on each other just a little when we need it most.

Across the hall from our room is Ms. Cannava’s classroom, and right now she needs a community to lean on as she undergoes cancer treatments. A few concerned members of her work family came together to organize a fundraising event in the hopes it might bring her some relief in this incredibly stressful time.

This Thursday, May 2 there will be a spaghetti feed and auction at Soldotna Elementary School to raise money for this cause. Local businesses have provided generous donations for the auction, and school staff and friends will be preparing dinner for $10 a plate beginning at 5:30 p.m.

I will be bringing my family to dinner and a dozen of these beautiful Earl Grey and lavender cupcakes for the dessert auction. They are elegant, refined and made with all my love and hope for her successful recovery.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup milk

2 bags Earl Grey tea

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

For the frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

4 cups powdered sugar

4 drops blue food coloring

3 drops red food coloring

2 tablespoons dried food grade lavender flowers

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake tins with liners. This recipe makes 18 cupcakes.

Heat your milk on the stove until steaming (do not let the milk boil), remove from the heat and steep the tea bags in the hot milk until cool. Discard the bags.

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the eggs and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar, then add the vanilla to the milk before pouring that in as well.

Mix gently until the batter is smooth.

Dish the batter out into the cups, filling about ¾ of the way.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are springy. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, cream together the softened butter and Greek yogurt, then add the powdered sugar in small batches until a stable frosting forms.

Color the frosting after all the powdered sugar has been added. You may use less or more food coloring to achieve the color you want or skip the food coloring entirely.

Gently fold in the lavender flowers just before transferring to a piping bag.

Keep the cupcakes refrigerated for up to a week.