a bit painstaking perhaps - but easy AND fun!
You need: one egg white,
a small new artist's paint brush,
edible flowers / leaves,
super fine sugar (also known as berry sugar)
and patience - loads of it!
And they have many uses,
can last months once dry and
if you have a sweet tooth are tasty.
I chose pansies for a cake topper.
Select blooms and leaves and rinse well.
Be sure to avoid picking in areas where pesticides have been used.
Leave stems attached to make them easier to handle.
Don't worry if they are completely dry,
just shake them free of excess water and set aside.
Separate the egg into a small shallow bowl - keep the white (it is your glue) and do what ever you wish with the yoke. One egg white will do dozens of small flowers. I have always used raw egg but if you have concerns about bacteria such as salmonella I have 'heard' meringue powder also makes an excellent 'glue'. (But I have not tried it).
I always do the all backs first because the fronts show more. To make really gorgeous flowers spread the egg thinly (and some say to water it down just a little bit) so that the sugar sticks but is not too heavy. My pictures show pansies that are actually too heavily coated. Too much egg = too much sugar coating. You can tell it is too much because the flower droops, and the coating may crack and fall off in places - NOT pretty!!
Paint the petals, one by one (first all the backs and then all the fronts) with the least amount of egg white possible but do make sure every area of the surface is shiny with a thin egg white coating. This is the 'glue' to stick the sugar on with and it seals the finished product when dry.
For buds as pictured on the right go ahead and open them a bit to spread the egg into the crevices, as lightly as possible, using the brush tip to gently push into difficult to reach areas.
TIP: Sprinkle each petal or leaf with a dusting of sugar as you go -
Paint one, sugar it;
(these are very small leaves)
paint another, sugar it.
This is the 'patience' part.
Prop the flowers on wax paper to dry. As the sugar absorbs the moisture it becomes clear and sparkles (unless you have too much - then it stays more opaque and crusty)
The egg and sugar hardens and seals the flowers into shape. Position them attractively by gently lifting petals if need be and by laying them on shaped edges/forms (I use balls of wax paper). Store in an airtight container when completely dry.
Violets are small and lovely on baked goods and candies.
They can be dipped into a thinned egg/water mixture and 'dropped' into the sugar. They may become a bit clumpish but because of their tiny size sometimes it is easier to do as many as possible, as fast as possible, and then select your best ones for decorations and let the others be eaten as candy.
