"flowers" news and stories

"Flowers are made to seduce the senses: fragrance, form, color." –Hilda Doolittle

A revival of the centuries old use of flowers for culinary use has resulted in quite a few delicious spirits. One of the few female distillers in the world, Joanne Moore, created a new gin called Bloom -- with hints of chamomile and honeysuckle -- that makes possibly the best gin and tonic I've ever had. Another new flower-enhanced spirit debuted recently called Geranium gin.

California's craft distiller Hangar One offers a Mandarin Blossom Vodka that is so delightfully aromatic it's almost a shame to mix it. Two of the many creative bottlings by Modern Spirits includes a once-a-year release of Rose Petal Vodka (made with three varieties of rose grown in the owners backyard) plus a regular flavor of Pear Lavender.

Besides orange blossom and rose, lavender and violet are also all-time favorite floral flavorings. Loft makes certified organic liqueurs but their star is Lavender Cello (a play off the popular spirit called lemoncello, of course). Dried lavender petals play a major role in the relaunched classic Crème Yvette. Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette is produced by macerating two kinds of violets in grape spirit. Supposedly flowers play a role in the history of Parfait Amour, the Victorian liqueur that helped gentleman win their ladies' love. To me, this liqueur often tastes more of vanilla and citrus, although the violet color is beautiful (and artificial). Look for Marie Brizard and Pages brands in the US, but keep your eyes out for Cartron and Bols while traveling.

Dagoba's Rosemary Mint bar was one of Marisa's standout picks for our Fancy Food Show Favorites, and I've since become slavishly devoted to their Seeds bar. It's 68% cacao, studded throughout with pumpkin, hemp and sunflower seeds, and now I've got even greater impetus to dig it, because the company is giving away free seeds via their website Seed the Day.

"Whether it's a pot on the windowsill, a patch in the backyard or a big community effort, everyone can garden. We'll get you ready for spring and help keep your garden blooming by sending you the very herbs and flowers found in our chocolate bars. Everyone who signs up will get at least one packet of lavender, mint, rosemary, pumpkin or sunflower seeds."

So far as I can tell, there's not a single hitch or string -- just free seeds and an extra excuse to think of chocolate. The site also notes that should your planting group be planning a late night planting romp, they just might send along some delicious provisions. And - if you live in Boston, Chicago or San Francisco, you can come on out and nab a handful for yourself. Dates are listed here.


Seed the Day

Every mom loves flowers-- except the ones who are allergic. So what's better than getting flowers for mom on Mother's Day? Making her a cake with flowers on it, of course!

I began with two 6-inch round cakes, leveled and stacked with a layer of buttercream between. I then iced the entire thing with white buttercream and let sit for a couple of minutes before smoothing. To get a 'fondant finish' (smooth like fondant but tasty like icing), I used my wooden fondant roller and a Viva paper towel and gently rolled over the surface of the cake.

I found a Wilton tulip and daisy muffin pan and thought it was perfect for baking flowers for the top of a cake. Each flower was leveled so it would sit evenly on top and alternate in a circle. The daisies were iced using tip #220. When I got it, I really thought this tip was going to make a neat drop flower but mostly it just makes pretty fat swirls. I made the centers with small pale yellow fondant circles. For the tulips, I used tip #3 so you could see a basic outline of the petals shape then did a small star tip to fill them in.

It still looked a little plain so I decided to use the flower fondant cutouts and make alternating colors of daisies and tulips for that as well. As an extra touch, I took dark purple fondant and cut out a butterfly shape. I shaped them over a bent piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil and let them dry overnight. I made four just in case I broke one which was good because I ended up breaking two.

Once I added a little green grass around the edge to finish it off, it was all done. As a mom myself, I think I would much prefer to get these flowers than the kind that come in a vase.

April showers bring May flower-covered cupcakes. Yes, spring is in full swing, time for the ultimate in stunningly beautiful, impress-all-your-friends-with-little-effort cake decoration: sugared flowers.

Martha Stewart has an instructional video on how to candy flowers, definitely a Good Thing. Start with pesticide-free edible flowers, such as pansies, marigolds, roses, dianthus, violets. Mix egg white or meringue powder in water and brush onto the petals with a clean paint brush, then sprinkle front and back with extra-fine sugar. Dry on a rack for two to four days until completely dry, then use to make adorable cupcakes like the ones in the picture.

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Have you ever looked at a cake with flowers on top and thought about possible hygiene issues? Or have you just wondered how they did that? There hasn't been any kind of industry standard, but the new CakeVase would not be a bad start.

Most of the time, decorators just put a plate on top of the cake with a floral arrangement on that. One problem with that is the plate may be too heavy. Also, you have no way water the flowers, so you may have some wilting by the end of the day. And no one recommends sticking flowers directly into a cake.There are ways around these problems without the CakeVase of course, but this gadget really does appear to make the task pretty easy, clean, and hygienic.

The website has more information and examples, as well as links to where it can be purchased. It's not too pricey, either. You get three vases for $13.93. There are two sizes of the regular vase, and one that's a ring so you can have flowers just around the edge. The CakeVase can help easily add a touch of elegance to your next cake.

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