Tea Party Diva - Life & Craft

Crystallised flowers add a touch of elegance to wedding cakes or other special occasion cakes.

They can also be used as a finishing touch to add to your presentation of small cakes or petit fours at a tea party or coffee get together.

The cupcake photo shown is of a Wedding Cupcake with crystallized flowers. This is from one of my favorite cupcake recipe books - Fairy Cakes by Joanna Farrow.

The crystallised flowers really top off this simple, but effective presentation - cupcakes with icing, sugared almonds, crystallized flowers and encircled with organza ribbon - perfect.

This is a great example of understated elegance with “less is more”. Read our full book review of Fairy Cakes .

PLEASE NOTE - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Crystallised flowers are for decoration only, and should not be eaten. Research the flower, herb or plant you want to use. Check for any type of toxicity, and possible allergic or other reactions through contact with other foods, implements, skin or inhaling. Your guests may have allergies or medical conditions too.

Some Toxic Flowers
Just some of the toxic flowers include foxglove, oleander, daffodil, delphinium and hyacinth. This list is not comprehensive. Organically grown flowers are best, as commercially grown flowers may have pesticide or other chemical residue.

Even if something is not meant to be eaten, it is not advised to use non edible or potentially harmful plants in presentations.

How To Make Crystallised Flowers
Ingredients

Flowers
Use clean small whole flowers or single petals. Choose flowers according to season, availability, occasion, color scheme or theme.

Suitable flowers for crystallization may include -

• violets
• nasturtiums
• lavender flowers
• rose petals
• small rosebuds
• small mint leaves
• rosemary flowers
• primrose flowers

You will also need -

• 1 egg white
• caster sugar

Method For Crystallilzed Flowers

• Place the clean dry flowers on a bread board, baking tray or flat surface.
• Beat the egg white to a light foam.
• Brush the flowers all over with beaten egg white, using a soft pastry brush.
• Sprinkle flowers all over with the caster sugar immediately.

The sugar needs to stick to the egg white before it dries. Leave for approx one hour or more until fully set. You can also sit the finished flowers on a baking tray lined with ovenproof paper in a warm oven (switched off).

Crystallized Flower Making Tips

Experiment with a few flowers to be sure you have it right, before doing a full batch for a special occasion.

Use a flour sifter to help coat the flowers with sugar evenly. A tea infuser or tea ball can be filled with caster sugar and used in the same way as a sifter, as long as the mesh is the right size.

Toothpicks may help to manouevre flowers once they are coated, without touching them with your hands, and undoing all your good work.

Entertaining, Tea Party Recipes