Social distancing in the midst of COVID-19 is hard. We think there is nothing like dessert to help you wrangle those “quarantine blues.” A spring garden party at home replete with a seasonal menu of Arizona’s prettiest blooms is what you need—not to mention that it will give you a literal taste of the outdoors.
So, when you go on your next walk, don’t forget to pick a few sprigs of these common florae to make the following edible flower dessert recipes!
1. Lemon-Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Hyptis emoryi, or desert lavender, has a strong and pleasant fragrance when crushed, making it the clear-choice protagonist of botanical cocktails and desserts at trendy downtown restaurants. Native to Arizona, desert lavender is a member of the mint family and has a faint honey fragrance, which is to say: when this edible flower is paired with lemon, an unstoppable duo is born.
Lemon-lavender shortbread cookies complement warm tea (another garden-party essential) and can be freshly made in just over an hour.
A rule of thumb when it comes to baking with any edible flower is to make sure the sprigs or petals are dried before incorporating them. A handy trick is to spread them onto parchment paper and lightly dust them with powdered sugar before popping them in a 100-degree oven for an hour.
To execute this edible flower dessert recipe, make sure you preheat your kitchen range or wall oven to 325 degrees. Use a mortar and pestle to grind together lavender and grated lemon zest, and then, combine these elements with granulated sugar and softened butter in a bowl. Stir and gradually incorporate vanilla extract and flour and salt (sifted together) until the dough forms. As you form your cookies, sprinkle some pure cane sugar on top!
2. Dandelion Blossom Cake
You might have already known these lawn weeds are edible off the stem, but maybe you hadn’t considered baking them into your desserts. Taraxacum officinale—i.e., the common dandelion—is not native to The Grand Canyon State, but its flowering season in desert regions (including Arizona) during the spring makes them especially prone to populating our backyards at this very second.
So, look no further than right outside your home to acquire the pièce de résistance in this edible flower dessert recipe.
To enjoy a moist dandelion blossom cake, concoct a botanical syrup to beat into the batter. Reminiscent of honey, this syrup is made with yellow dandelion heads, water, sugar, and chopped lemon and orange with their peels intact. This recipe recommends boiling the dandelion heads on your cooktop and letting the flowers sit overnight, covered. To make the syrup, drain the pot and press down on the flowers to squeeze out any remaining water, and reignite the heat on “low”, adding sugar and the sliced citrus. Stir these elements occasionally until a thick syrup forms.
For the rest of the batter, optional ingredients include crushed pineapple and chopped walnuts for moisture and crunch. We also think pressing a freshly picked dandelion head on top of your finished product makes for a lovely presentation.
3. Floral Ice Pops
Springtime in Arizona means you don’t have to wait around for summer to enjoy an icicle in your backyard. Amid your garden-party spread, we hope you include a tray of floral ice pops that is as much a treat to the eyes as it is for the stomach.
You can make these ice pops with just about any small edible flower (including the aforementioned lavender and dandelion), but we have a couple of other Arizona blossoms in mind.
Brassica tournefortii (Asian mustard) is a delicate yellow flower that thrives in the spring and can be found along roadsides—but take heed: only small doses are recommended. An entirely edible weed, Capsella bursa-pastor (shepherd’s purse) is sure to charm with its tiny heart-shaped leaves.
This edible flower dessert recipe presents you with your choice of flavored icicle base, including coconut water, lemonade, a lightly colored fruit juice, or tea. (For of-age guests, rosé or clear liquor also work.) The first step is to fill some popsicle molds with your base of choice. Then, place the rinsed flower heads and leaves in each mold, and put the batch in the freezer for about two hours, until the treat solidifies.
4. Woods’ Rose Macarons
For this final edible flower dessert recipe, we challenge you to adapt rose macaron baking directions to give the treat an Arizonian twist. Enter: Rosa woodsii, a.k.a., woods’ rose.
While its appearance differs from most rose flowers, woods’ rose is not any less fragrant or beautiful. A culturally significant plant used by Native Americans for food and medicinal purposes, woods’ rose is delightfully tart and a good source of vitamin C. You’re more likely to find this Arizona native on forested hillsides and along mountain streams, so we suggest keeping your eyes peeled on your next hike.
Pink floral macarons are typically infused with strawberry or raspberry jam and rosewater. To make rosewater with your woods’ rose, measure a ¼-cup of dried petals into your saucepan along with 1-½ cups of water. Cover your saucepan, turn on your stovetop, and bring your ingredients to a boil. At that point, cut the heat, still letting the water simmer until the color of the rose petals has faded. Once your rosewater has cooled, it is ready to be integrated into your batter.
We recommend using any leftover flower debris (like the edible stems, leaves, and dried fruit) to make a botanical, loose-leaf tea—the perfect accompaniment for rose macarons.
For all of your kitchen needs, make sure you check out our catalog of ranges, wall ovens, cooktops, refrigerators, and freezers! Call Spencer’s TV & Appliance today—our experts are always happy to help.