Decorating Pastries with Fresh and Candied Violets--A Beautiful, Natural Look for Spring

It was fated, I suppose. The very day I mentioned on Facebook that I was thinking about ways to minimize the use of commercial dyes and food colorings in my pastry decorating, I spied a bright carpet of wild purple violets along the wooded trails behind my house. (About a week later, I also found some yellow and pale lavender violets in the woods--yes, they are native here in central Maryland, as well!)

The violets reminded me that years before I’d successfully used both fresh and candied violets to dress up a cake for a “Victorian-themed” tea. So, I decided to once again harvest some and take advantage their natural beauty to decorate the frosted cupcakes here while they were here at hand. Gardeners call these and similar woodland flowers “ephemerals,” because they make a brief, but dazzling appearance each spring, and then just as quickly disappear for another year.

Unlike many wild and cultivated flowers, violets and their cousins, Johnny-jump-ups and pansies, are edible, so if carefully washed, they can adorn food without any health concerns. They are also tender and have a very mild, indistinct flavor, and, when candied, taste like little more than sugar. Don’t ever use unfamiliar flowers to enhance your dishes, as some are highly poisonous or taste very bitter. (Also, note that African violets are not the same as woodland violets and cannot be used.)

If placed in water, fresh purple violet blooms will hold their vibrant color and delicate shape for several days. But once perched on a cake or cupcakes or cookies, they must be served promptly as they will droop and fade in less than an hour. So, if using them fresh, plan accordingly. (Note that yellow violets are very fragile and droop right away, so aren't suitable for decorating unless they are candied as described below.)

Once they are washed and patted dry, it's possible to preserve, or "candy," violets or their kin so they can be held and used like regular pastry decorations (as shown at left). This involves simply coating the petals on both sides with egg white, then sprinkling them evenly with superfine granulated sugar. (This can be made by grinding regular sugar in a processor until very fine.) I dip each flower into the egg white very lightly on both sides, then use a small paint brush to cover any spots missed. Then, I use a spoon to scoop sugar on one side and then another.

Finally, I lay them on a flat surface and using toothpicks or tweezers, spread out the petals attractively so they dry in their original graceful floral form. They will immediately fade to soft lavender, and gradually lose more color over time. After letting them air dry for several days, I store them airtight and out of the light, and try to use them within two or three months. Most recipes seem to call for cutting off the stems before candying, but sometimes I like to use stemmed violets, so I just snip them to the desired length with scissors right while I'm decorating. I think the stems also make the flowers easier to pick up and move around.

Many firms that sell candied violets simply dunk the blossoms in egg white and sugar and just set them aside to dry. As a result, the blooms often aren’t identifiable as delicate flowers and instead merely look like rough purple blobs! (Which is why though I like the idea of them, I’m never happy enough with their appearance to resort to store-bought.)

As you can see from the cupcake pic above left, candied violets prepared at home, on the other hand, lend a romantic, charming and completely natural decorative touch. They were especially popular in the Victorian era, and it’s obvious why. I’m planning to use them to replace the usual food-color tinted nonpareils on some baked treats prepared for a garden party this summer. I’m betting they’ll be a hit.

The most well-known violets are the deep purple-blue ones in the little bowl at the top of the story; they're called viola ordorata, though, truthfully, the ones I picked didn't have a lot of fragrance. The lavender and white violets here at right (which I picked from my shade garden) are called viola sororia. I decorated the cookies shown below with some of them. (There are several hundred other varieties with colors ranging from cream and yellow to blue to mauve. For more violet and other spring pics from my garden, go here.)

For the fresh, all-natural orange or pink buttercream frostings used on these treats, go here.

For another recipe that shows off nature's glorious color check out David Lebovitz's cookies here. Or if you're in the mood to cool off, check out my refreshing, naturally colorful fruit ice pops.