March has been a gorgeous month of blue skies and frosty nights, which have marvellously delayed my planting so I can catch up in the garden! And drink tea in the sun.
Easter is late this year giving me longer to savour the thought of it, one of my absolute favourite holidays. I have already begun making small batches of crystallised wild Violets and Primroses which will go atop the Easter cake; I love these sparkling little treasures – so easy to make and so delicious!
‘Violettes crystallisés’ first appeared in Toulouse, France at the beginning of the 19th century, but the tradition of candied petals dates back to the Middle Ages. They can be eaten alone used as an edible decoration or added to a glass of champagne!
If you’d like to make them, this is how: gather your flowers on a dry morning then gently shake them to remove any tiny bits or bugs, keeping the stems nice and long to hold them by. Then, with a paintbrush, brush each flower all over with lightly beaten egg white and finish by sprinkling them all over with a thick layer of caster sugar. The excess sugar can then be shaken off before you place on a tray lined with baking paper. You can pinch the stem off at this point leaving just the bloom. Once you have filled your tray put them somewhere warm for 24 hours to harden up, then store them in an airtight tin in between tissue sheets until you need them. They will keep for up to a year.
