1. To prepare shortcakes, preheat oven to 375F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, lavender (if uisng) and salt. Grate cold butter on the largest holes of a box grater into flour mixture.  Blend butter into flour mixture with fingertips until it resembles coarse meal. Alternately, combine in a food processor. 

2. Add cream and blend until just combined. Pat dough into ball, flatten into a 1-inch disk, and using a biscuit cutter or 3-inch glass, make 6 biscuits. Place on baking sheet. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Freeze biscuits for 15 minutes.

3. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. 

4. To prepare lemon curd, whisk juice, zest, sugar and eggs in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat. Add butter and cook over medium heat whisking often until curd is thick, about 6 minutes. Transfer curd to a bowl and chill, covered with plastic wrap,  at least an hour. 

5. To assemble shortcakes, toss berries with sugar and let stand 10 minutes to get juicy. Whip cream with powdered sugar  and lavendar extract until soft peaks. Slice biscuits in half, top with curd, whipped cream and strawberries and biscuit top. 

You can find Meg at her Cherry Street Eatery in the Schermerhorn Symphony Center dowtown Nasvhille.