It's Gardening Week...Let Make Crystallized Flowers!

I have fond memories of eating crystallized flowers on my grandmother's cakes. She would often surprise us with placing them on one of her decadent cakes in the dead of winter !  I decided to try my hand at making these myself and perhaps delight my girls in the same way. I spent the evening last night lost in a space of painting these delicate little blossoms with a some tunes, a sweet spring breeze and a glass of wine...a  lovely  way to quiet my mind and think fondly of my grandmother who always had magic at her finger tips.

Candying Flowers Recipe and Method:

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  You will need:
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  edible flower blossoms
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  1 –2 egg whites (or about ¼ cup of the pasteurized variety)
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  Finely granulated white sugar (about 1/2 cup)
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  Tiny, clean, artist’s brush
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  Cup of cool water
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  Wax or parchment paper for drying the flowers
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  Paper or cotton towels

Cut the prettiest blossoms you can find at their peak of bloom, taking care to keep enough stem on them to allow you to hold them easily (3 to 4 inches).

Use only unsprayed flowers. This cannot be emphasized enough

Beat the whites from two or three fresh eggs with a whisk or fork, until they have lost their original heavy texture and become a bit frothy.

. Place about a cup or two of finely granulated white sugar in a soup bowl - this will be used to dip the flowers.

. Taking a single flower at a time, use the tiny brush to gently – but completely – coat the entire flower blossom, one petal at a time. Do NOT immerse the blossom in the egg white, as it causes the flower to take-up too much egg white. It will then not harden properly.

.Dip the egg-washed blossom into the sugar, taking care to get the sugar onto each petal. Gently shake off any excess sugar.

Place the blossom on wax paper – or parchment paper – and snip the flower blossom off its stem-holder.

. Allow the blossom to completely dry and harden.

. Store in an airtight container – they will keep for weeks.

We choose to use violas, pansies, white and purple lilacs, phlox, mint and pinks!

"Oh mom, WOW can we try these?"!  One more way to enjoy the magnificence that surrounds us!

in sugared beauty

~ Shanti ~