I like to use edible flowers in salads, frozen ice cubes, in simple syrups, on top of cookies & cakes, in artisan sugars, and as a fresh garnish in summer drinks. I also use them fresh and dried on top of our Fantail Farm gourmet cheesecakes! Edible flowers bring beauty and a special touch to any recipe and it is fun to learn about all of the different flowers you can add.
I recently checked out Eat Your Flowers by Loria Stern from the library. She has an expansive knowledge of edible flowers and I use some of her descriptions of how each flower tastes below. I also share my lavender cream cheese frosting recipe that you’ll find at the bottom of this post. It is so delicious!
Rules for edible flowers…
- Only eat flowers that come from plants that you can 100% identify as an edible plant or flower.
- Eat only the parts of the plant that are safe for human consumption.
- Never eat flowers that have been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.
There are many more edible flowers but I’m only including the varieties I grow in my own garden here.
Calendula is known for its strong taste and described as spicy to peppery.
Chamomile is a flower we all know and love, most familiar for tea and its honey herb taste. You can make fresh tea or infuse it in milk as a base for panna cotta, creme brûlée, or ice cream!
Cornflower, also called Bachelor’s Buttons, is described as refreshing.
Cosmos are one of my favorite blooms and are gorgeous on a sugar cookie – so are pansies & violas.
Fuchsia has a berry & lemon taste and adds a lot of beauty to a dish as decoration.
Honeysuckle has a honey based taste and is sweet when added to a recipe.
Culinary lavender is one of my all time favorites for simple syrups. I make lavender mint mojitos & use it for my morning lavender vanilla panna cotta.
Lilac has a floral but bitter aftertaste. I have not used them before in the kitchen but they are one of my all time favorite flowers!
Marigolds have a mild citrus flavor with a bitter finish and would be so pretty on a butternut squash soup in the Fall.
Nasturtium is peppery and sweet and I love to use them in salads and for decoration on tablescapes.
Rose petals can be dried and added to granola or for pressing and simple syrups. The flavor is described as floral strawberry or tart apple by Loria Stern.
Snapdragons have a crisp bitter flavor and can be used fresh for decorating and are also really pretty in a big salad.
Sunflowers are nutty & earthy in flavor.
Tulips are described as having a mild cucumber flavor and are very delicate to work with.
How to Make Lavender Cream Cheese Frosting
This lavender cream cheese frosting is simply delicious on a sugar cookie and it is very easy and quick to make. Topping each cookie with an edible flower is a nice touch that make these sugar cookies extra special. This recipe makes enough frosting for 3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
- 8 oz. of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla
- 1 tablespoon of half and half
- 2 tablespoons of culinary lavender
- 3 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 drops of purple food coloring (optional)
Step One: Put the butter and cream cheese in a large glass bowl – if it is not room temperature then pop it in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. Using an electric mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together.
Step Two: Add the vanilla, culinary lavender, and 2 cups of the powdered sugar to the glass bowl with the butter and cream cheese. Mix well.
Step Three: Add in the half and half and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix well. The frosting should be smooth and creamy.
Step Four: Add two drops of the purple food coloring to the frosting, and mix well. Adding food coloring is optional, it makes the frosting a pretty lavender color.
Step Five: Spread the frosting on to cooled sugar cookies (I use the Better Homes & Garden recipe or store bought dough and baked at home works too). Add the edible flowers if you have them right before serving as edible flowers may shrivel overnight.
Enjoy!
