April 25, 2010

Miss Prim Pram Prum...

I'm after getting my hands on a new camera lens so excuse the ridiculous amount of photos in this post! x

This week when I was making cakes for a little girls 8th Birthday party I knew just what to top them with: crystallised primroses!

Gorgeous delicate petals encased in sugar, sparkling and shimmering on a bed of snowy white. I just had to. The garden is covered with primroses this year. These are so easy and cheap to make, they're a little time consuming and you have to be gentle but it's a very relaxing way to spend an hour!

All you need:
Fresh edible flowers: primroses, rose petals, violets, nasturtiums etc.
Mint leaves or other edible leaves
Rose Water
1 egg white
Caster sugar
Food Colouring (optional)
A fine paintbrush




Method:
  • I like to whisk a few drops of rosewater in with the eggs white to give it a better consistency and add a gorgeous subtle rose flavour and scent.
  • Colouring the sugar is totally optional but it's so much fun! Just put some sugar into a food processor, add a drop of colour and whizz! Amazing! Or you can put the sugar in a ziploc bag, add the colour and then shake it to mix.
  • Carefully paint each petal of the flower with the egg white mix. Spoon over the sugar making sure you cover every bit of the flower. Repeat the same with the leaves.
  • Leave to dry on greaseproof paper for 48 hours.

You can keep these in a tin or jar for 6 months or more. I think they'd make a gorgeous Christmas present for the cake maker in your life, a jar full of spring!

Lilly x

13 comments:

  1. You make it look so easy, and they look just beautiful!

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  2. They are just lovely, Lilly, more pictures anytime please! So much time goes into baking and making these cakes and I bet they were gone in 2 seconds

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  3. They look suitably girly and I'm sure they are delish. Your pics are lovely too.
    How did you get your banner photo stretched to look long and thin. I've been fiddling around with mine (also on blogger) and just lack the computer know how to do it?
    Claire x

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  4. Oh hugely impressive! I must give these primroses a go - my two young assistants are already scouring the garden. That was a very lucky 8 year old.

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  5. *puts hand to brow and faints* ...lilly you're killing me with crystalised flower girliness!! loving the eye of the new lens...fab photos & fabulously cute cupcakes! x

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  6. you do this and you have kids too? jeepers you are amazing..

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  8. Amanda: Thanks! It really is easy, Just time consuming!
    Aden: They were eaten pretty fast! I witnessed a ten year old boy pulling the petals off and throwing them on the ground so I had to look away!
    Ma Larkin: I just took a big photo and cropped it to make the rectangular shape, so it's not stretched. Most computers have some sort of photo editing tool, you can email me a photo to crop if you like: talktolilly at gmail.com
    Mise: The girls would love it, it's just like painting but with sugar!
    Sharon: I know, they're crazy pretty! They taste lovely too though! x
    Beatnheart: The eight year old wasn't my kid! Thanks for saying jeepers though! x

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  9. your food styling is impeccable, a publishing contract anyone??
    these are genius lilly,

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  10. Thanks Tracy!
    Jaboopee, I'd love to be a food stylist when I grow up, thanks!x

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  11. Here I am, trying to finish a bit of work at well past bed o'clock, and as always your blog has sent me to my leaba smiling. One of these days, I'm going to stop just salivating and oohing and aahing and make time to actually TRY one of your excellent creative projects. Love it, Lilly!

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  12. Susan! You were up so late! Hope you're not knackered today and thanks for reading the blog, let me know if you make anything nice! x

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Let me know what you think!x