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Desserts are the best part of a meal. Whether you’re having an elaborate brunch or a light dinner, waiting to eat something sweet is a constant feeling. If you love eating and making desserts, you must jump into the realm of edible flowers to take your creations to a whole new level.
Edible flowers add a touch of elegance and beauty to the desserts that work as eye candy for the people on the other side of the table. But it’s not all about the looks; the flowers also have a subtle flavour that complements the dessert. If you are new to the concept of garnishing your desserts with edible flowers, read on, and you will be ready for a new experiment.
The Best Edible Flowers For Your Desserts
There are many types of edible flowers that you can use. But before adding them to a dessert, you should keep in mind their flavours and whether they will complement the dessert or not.
Roses: Roses are one of the most popular flowers that are often used to add flavour and fragrance to desserts. Roses work best with creamy desserts like cakes, cupcakes, mousse, etc. You can also use them in traditional Indian desserts like kaju katli, barfi, halwa, rasgulla, etc.
Lavender: Lavender has a slightly sweet taste, and it pairs really well with cold desserts like ice cream, sorbet, panna cotta, etc. You can also use lavender syrup to add a subtle flowery taste to cookies or bread.
Chamomile: You might know chamomile because of its popular use in teas to give a calm and soothing effect. Chamomile imparts a slightly fruity taste, and it complements desserts like pudding, custard, or parfaits.
Jasmine: The Jasmine flower is well-known for its sweet fragrance. It is mainly used as a syrup in ice cream, whipped cream, and frostings.
Violets: As the name suggests, the purple-coloured flowers can be used to garnish cakes, pastries, and chocolates to give a dash of colour and aroma.
How To Pair The Edible Flowers With Desserts?
Pairing the edible flowers to the right dessert is a work of art. While it might take some experimenting for you to get used to it, the key is to make complementary combinations. For example, while rose petals can add an elegant touch to chocolate or creamy dessert, lavender can balance the flavour of a tarty lemon-based cake or sorbet. It also works the other way around. For instance, if you are using floral syrup in a dessert, you can add citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, or cherries to balance the sweetness.
Which Ingredients Work Well With Edible Flowers?
Fruits: The fruity flavours, be they sweet or tarty, work well with the subtle profile of edible flowers.
Cream: From an ingredient as basic as whipped cream to a creamy truffle made with custard, all of them act as a base for the flowery notes.
Chocolate: You can use dried petals or flowers infused as syrups to make different flavours of chocolates. Flowers also add a royal and romantic touch to chocolate-based desserts.
Honey: The natural sweetness of honey allows it to complement the floral flavour for both garnishing a dessert and syrup-based infusions.
Tips Before Using Edible Flowers
Pick Flowers Carefully: While buying flowers for desserts, be careful to use only edible flowers. Some flowers can even release toxins when eaten. So, research well before adding them to the food.
Allergies: Before serving desserts to your guests, ensure that they do not have any allergies to flowers or pollens.
Wash Properly: Another tip you shouldn’t forget is to wash the flowers properly before adding them to your dessert.
