Decorative Edible Flowers and Leaves

There are a lot of edible flowers and leaves that you can use in your cooking. As a teenager, I remember thinking my grandma was crazy when she brought rose petals in from her garden, only to put them in our dinner salad. However, it was both safe and tasty.

A wonderful way to decorate cakes is with candied or chocolate covered petals and leaves. You can even set out fancy bowls full of the candied flora during a party or special occasion. These also make wonderful gifts, which you can give to friends in pretty little bags tied with ribbon.

If you are unsure about which kinds of flowers and leaves are safe to eat, definitely do some research first. Never eat anything if you don’t know what it is.

You can use the leaves of any scented rose, but be sure to wash them first by soaking in water for half an hour.

Ingredients

· 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

· Rose leaves (as many as you will need)

· Wax paper

· Clean, new paintbrush

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (pan inside a larger pan that has boiling water in it. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and shiny. Remove from heat.

2. Lay the clean rose leaves face down on a sheet of wax paper.

3. Use the paintbrush to pain a thick layer of chocolate onto the leaves.

4. Refrigerate the leaves for about 30 minutes, until the chocolate has hardened.

5. Carefully peel the rose leaves off of the waxed paper. You can use them now to decorate cakes or give as presents, or you can paint the other sides and refrigerate again. Tip: You can just paint sections of the leave, contrasting the green of the leaf with the dark chocolate.

Violets bloom in early spring. Their heart-shaped leaves and five-petaled flowers can be used in soups and salads, and both can be candied. Candied leaves are usually for decoration. Candied flowers look great on top of cakes, fruit, and ice cream.

Ingredients

· Violet flowers and leaves

· 1 egg white

· Sugar

· Clean paint brushes (that have never been used with paint)

· Wax paper

Directions

1. Wash the violets and leaves, set them out to dry.

2. Separate the egg by holding it over a small, clean bowl, and crack the shell around the middle. Now pour the egg back and forth between the two shell halves, keeping the yok in the shell and letting the white run into the bowl. Throw out the shell and yolk.

3. Dip a small brush into the egg white, and brush it on the violet petals, covering both the font and back sides.

4. Sprinkle sugar onto the violets, covering them completely.

5. Put the violets on wax paper to dry.

6. Candy the leaves the same way.