One of the most beautiful ways to finish off a cake or pastry is with flowers. Sugar and gumpaste flowers are the two types usually favored by those bakers who do a lot of cakes because they are consistent and easy to adapt. Real flowers tend to be a bit more impressive, however. I’ve seen large wedding cakes studded with mini bouquets that are meant to be removed, not eaten, but for the ultimate floral garnish edible flowers are the way to go.
All this week, Joe Pastry has been putting up a series of posts that include just about everything you need to know about candied, edible flowers. The first step is to find out what kinds of flowers are edible so you know what your options are. Many fit the bill, but just because you can eat it doesn’t mean you should. Small flowers tend to work the best, though using only flower petals rather than the whole flower is always an option.
Once you have your flowers and they have been appropriately cleaned, they can be candied. This involves painting the flowers with egg white and dipping them in colored sugar, then leaving them to dry before garnishing your cake or cupcakes. The flowers will last out for several days and can be kept in an airtight container for weeks, once dry.
What do you think?