Sugared Flowers Food

CANDIED FLOWERS

Steps:

• Beat egg whites until frothy. Add a couple of drops of vodka to help the flowers dry quicker.
• Using fresh picked flowers, paint each flower individually with beaten egg white using the artist's paintbrush.
• When thoroughly coated, sprinkle with fine sugar and place on the wire rack to dry. Flowers are completely dry when stiff and brittle to the touch.
• They should be free of moisture. This could take 12 to 36 hours, depending on humidity. To hasten drying, you may place the candied flowers in an oven with a pilot light overnight, or in an oven set at 150 degrees to 200 degrees F with the door ajar for a few hours.
• Store the dried, candied flowers in airtight containers until ready to use. They will keep for as long as a year.

SUGARED FLOWER SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Remove the stalks and any leaves from small flowers like violas or pansies, and carefully pull apart the roses to separate the petals. Place a sheet of baking parchment on your work surface. Sprinkle the caster sugar over a saucer, then lightly whisk the egg white in a small bowl. Holding a flower or petal with tweezers, use a small paintbrush to paint both sides with egg white. Spoon the sugar over, then shake off the excess and place on the parchment. Repeat with the remaining petals or flowers. Leave to dry for 3 hrs, or overnight if you can. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month, but their colour may start to fade after a few weeks.
• Tip the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a damp, crumby texture. Pour in the sugar and gently mix in with your fingertips. Whisk the vanilla, rosewater and egg yolks together in a small bowl with a fork, then drizzle the mixture over the buttery flour. Mix again, squashing the crumbs together to form a dough. If the mixture is a little crumbly, drizzle over 1-2 tsp cold water, then mix again. Tip onto your work surface and knead very briefly until the dough looks even, with no streaks of egg. Wrap in cling film, pat into a round disc and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge - if it's very firm, leave it at room temperature for 15 mins to soften. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, unwrap the dough and roll it to the thickness of a £1 coin. Stamp out 8cm disks with the fluted side of a biscuit cutter and transfer them to the baking trays. Bake for 10-12 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through cooking. Once lightly golden and firm, remove the biscuits from the oven. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 mins or until stable enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing. Divide the icing between as many bowls as the number of colours you'd like to use, and dye each one a pastel shade with a drop of food colouring. Transfer half of one of the icings to a disposable piping bag fitted with a fine writing nozzle. Pipe a ring around the outside of the biscuit and set aside to dry. Continue until you've iced a third of the biscuits (if you're using three colours), then move on to the next colour, transferring any leftover icing back to its original bowl. Leave the biscuits to dry for 10-15 mins.
• Add 2-3 tsp water to each icing to make it a little runnier. Spoon the icing onto the biscuits, matching the colour to the rings. Encourage the icing to flood the surface by easing it to the edges with your spoon - don't be too generous with the icing as it may overspill when you add the flowers and petals. You can now dust the surface of each biscuit with a little shimmer dust, if you like, then top with the flowers. Leave the biscuits to set for at least 1 hr before wrapping in tissue paper in a pretty box. Will keep for up to 1 week.

HOW TO PREPARE EDIBLE FLOWERS WITH FINE SUGAR

Steps:

• 1. Locate edible flowers. Many grocery stores already stock edible flowers. If the store in your town does not check at Whole food or Natural food stores. There are a variety of online suppliers too. Not all flowers are edible. Some are actually dangerous if eaten. Please look online for a list of edible flowers. Once you have all of the above listed items you are ready to start.
• 2. Gently beat egg white and water to a smooth consistency. Keep in mind your will want a nice layer for the flower. Tweezers should be new. Wash tweezers. Trim stalk on flower if it is longer then your desired length.
• 3. Flowers coated in fine sugar become crystallized. Prepare area for sugaring flowers. Fill bowl with fine sugar. Fine sugar is a finer grain then granulated sugar but more coarse then powdered sugar. Place an empty bowl next to bowl with sugar. Cover tray with grease proof paper to place completed flowers on.
• 4. Small brush for touch ups Now gently coat entire flowers with egg mixture. If the entire surface of the flower is not covered you will be unable to use it. The exposed portion of the flower will wilt and discolor. Make sure to turn flower upside down to coat underneath. When you are sure the entire flower is cover move to step 5. Do not start on the next flower until you complete each step per flower.
• 5. Hold flower over empty bowl. Using your fingers sprinkle sugar onto flower. Allow extra sugar to fall into empty bowl. It will be thrown away when you clean up. Do not re-use fallen sugar. It has come in contact with egg mixture. Make sure the entire flower is covered with sugar. Turn flower upside down. Look all over to make sure it is completely coated. Now lay flower on tray that is covered with grease proof paper. Lay flower in the desired shape. It will dry how ever you choose to place it. Repeat all steps until you have prepared desired amount of flowers. Crystallized edible flowers are a beautiful accent to any occasion.
• 6. Check all flowers one final time to make sure that there are no touch ups that need to be made. When all are complete, place tray of finished flowers in a an area that is airy and allow to dry for no less then 48 hours. When flowers are completely dry you may store them in an air tight jar. If flowers will be layered in jar place a sheet of grease proof paper in between layers so that the flowers do not stick together. C
• 7. Tips & Warnings Use on cakes, cup cakes or desserts. Store properly and crystallized flowers will remain good for up to 3 months Do not attempt to eat any flowers other than what has been purchased as edible.

SUGARED FLOWERS

Steps:

• Whisk egg white with water in a small bowl. Working with 1 flower at a time and holding it with tweezers, brush egg wash over entire surface of flower using a small paintbrush. Sprinkle with sugar. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment to crisp flowers. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Sugared flowers can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 months.

CANDIED FLOWERS

Steps:

• Brush petals with an egg white that is slightly beaten with a couple of drops of water.
• Hold the petal with a tweezer, and sprinkle with superfine sugar. Tap the tweezer to remove excess sugar.
• Remove to a rack to dry completely. Store in an airtight container.
• Sugared flowers can be made in advance and stored up to one month.