The violets are blooming in abundance right now. As they are one of the first flowers of the season, they seem to draw your attention and entice you to create something with them. They also come in a wide variety of colors. The simple beauty and small size of violets goes perfectly with cupcakes, and would also be fun to use on cookies.
Make sure that the violets don’t have any pesticides on them. The violets can be used fresh, but crystallizing the flowers helps them last longer. This is helpful if you don’t plan on eating them right away. If you are storing candied flowers for later use, make sure to place them in an airtight container out of humidity. I have had candied flowers last over a month and still look very pretty.
Make sure when you pick the violets that you leave a long enough stem to hold the flower while you are working with it. This will also allow you to place them in a container of water to help keep them fresh until you are ready to crystallize them. Salt and pepper shakers with large enough holes work great to hold small flowers. An old bottle, like this toothache remedy bottle, is a perfect size for violets. Small perfume bottles also work great. You can see more about this in my post “Tiny Treasures“.
Crystallizing flowers helps them last longer, looks pretty, and is very easy to do. All you need is one egg white, superfine baker’s sugar, violets (or your choice of flower), and a small clean brush.
To crystallize the violets, paint the entire flower with egg white. Make sure you paint both the front and the back. While still wet, lightly cover the whole flower with sugar. Place them on parchment paper to thoroughly dry.
These cupcakes are a fun way to celebrate special occasions and would make a wonderful gift that is unique and special!