Bring simple, fresh flower recipes to your kitchen table!  Edible flowers are abundant and easy to cook with, but are often overlooked as being intimidating or too fancy.  Exquisite candied edible flowers are an ancient delicacy. They make an elegant garnish for your cakes, chocolates and pastries. And are the perfect addition to your Spring treats!

Cooking with Flowers is filled with special confections and easy everyday treats that everyone will love, from jewel-toned Violet Jam and pretty pink Lavender Lemonade to Pansy Petal Pancakes and Carrot Sunflower Cake.

In this book, youll find easy-to-follow recipes and beautiful photographs, as well as the fascinating history and meaning of flowers, plus tips and tricks for finding, cleaning, and preparing edible blossoms. This essential guide covers all the classic uses for farm-fresh, seasonal flowers whether they’re sourced locally or plucked from your very own garden.

Edible Flower Lollipops from Fancy Flours

Update this old-fashioned favorite with edible flowers for a fresh spring treat. You can use flavors to suit your taste, but you will need clear lollipops to showcase the flowers. Make sure you have an accurate candy thermometer for this recipe because the sugar temperature is critical!

Recipe makes approximately 8 to 10 lollipops per batch
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Equipment:
– Medium heavy bottom sauce pan
– Candy thermometer
– 2″ flat round hard candy lollipop mold
– Lollipop sticks
– Nonstick cooking spray
– Pyrex 2 cup measuring cup
– Pastry brush
– Cookie sheet or marble slab
– Parchment paper
– Edible flowers to fit inside the 2″D flat candy mold

Ingredients:
– 1 cup of granulated sugar
– 1/3 cup of corn syrup
– ½ cup of water
– 2 teaspoons of flavoring oil if using

Instructions:
1. Prepare your molds by lightly spraying them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Prepare either a marble slab or an upside-down cookie sheet (air underneath the sheet will help the candy to cool faster), by covering with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Place molds on a cookie sheet or marble slab.

3. Combine sugar and water in a medium heavy bottom sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Once boiling, stop stirring as soon as the syrup starts to boil and insert a candy thermometer.

4. Allow to boil, without stirring, until candy reaches 250°F (121°C). If you plan to add food coloring, add it at this point and allow the liquid to continue boiling.

5. Once the candy reaches 300°F (known as hard crack stage), remove it from heat, add flavoring of your choice and pour into the Pyrex measuring cup. Allow liquid to sit until it stops bubbling completely. This will prevent bubbles from forming in your poured lollipops.

6. Working quickly, pour a scant amount of hard candy liquid into each mold, enough just to cover the bottom. Place an edible flower FACE DOWN on the liquid in each mold. Add a lollipop stick to each mold and continue pouring to fill each mold. If liquid becomes too thick to easily pour, simply reheat in the microwave on high for about 15 seconds and continue filling the molds. NOTE: The flower is placed face down so that the correct side of the flower will be on the front side of the completed lollipop.

7. Allow to cool completely and remove from mold once hardened.

8. Store Lollipops individually wrapped, in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to a month.

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Here are 6 more ways to use edible flowers:

1. Pansy Shortbread Cookies {www.stonegableblog.com}

2. Flower Power Cake {www.greenkitchenstories.com}

3. Flower Bouquet Popsicles {www.familyfreshcooking.com}

4. Passionfruit Orchid Tartlets {www.bridesmagazine.co.uk}

5. Edible Flowers Cupcakes – Top your favorite cupcake recipe with edible flowers! Image from www.stephmodo.com

6. Viola Crepes & Pansy Syrup {homeiswheretheboatis.net}