Edible Flower Cookies- Beautiful Baking

Edible flower cookies are whimsical works of edible art. The cookies are the canvas, and the flowers are the paint. Learn how to make edible flower cookies, and awaken your nature inspired inner artist and baker.

I have always admired beautiful edible flower cookies adorned with the bright and vibrant colors of edible flowers. Each cookie is unique and special in it's own right.

Whether you are using the whole flower, or just parts of the flower such as the edible flower petals, it all works, in the world of cookie decorating.

You can use your fresh flowers from your own garden, as long as they are an edible variety. Look for edible varieties to grow at your local nursery or garden centre.

You can also often find fresh edible flowers at the grocery store, whole foods, and at the local farmers markets.

Combine different colors, sizes and shapes if available. Use your imagination and have fun.

Just make sure to only use edible flowers to decorate your cookies. Non edible flowers can make you sick, and some can even be dangerous if consumed.

Using Edible Flowers On Cookies

It's very important to only use edible flowers in your baking and recipes.

Check out this article for a great list of edible flowers, from which to choose your edible blooms.

Use only flowers that are grown organically, and those that have not been sprayed with harmful chemicals.

Being familiar with each type of edible flower that you are using is also important.

All flowers are unique, and for some flowers, it may be best to use only parts of the flower. Other flowers can be used whole, including stems, leaves and all.

Some edible flowers like lavender and dandelion, should be removed from the stems to avoid a bitter taste.

Here is a great article from PennState Extension, on A Consumer's Guide To Edible Flowers, reviewing precautions, harvesting, storing and preparation of edible flowers.

This year I have planted so many edible flower variations, with the intention of using them in the kitchen. Spring has just sprung here in zone 5b, and there are just a few edible flowers in bloom right now.

The darling pansies and violas are in full bloom, and are perfect edible blooms for cookie decorating. Their adorable faces are colourful and cheerful, and look amazing on top of decorated cookies.

The lilacs are also in bloom, and are great edible flowers to use as a garnish as well. Take care with lilac blooms however, as they tend to turn brown when heated or chilled.

Lilacs are best used at room temperature, whether placed into icing or candied with sugar. Either way you can use lilac blossoms in their fresh state, rather than baking them, to decorate your cookies.

How Do You Bake Edible Flowers?

Some edible flowers hold up much better to the baking process than others.

Certain flowers will retain their color much better and not be affected by the heat.

Pansies and violas work very well, and keep their colour for the most part, deepening in shades as they are baked.

The flowers will also shrink in size as they are baked, so keep this in mind if you are creating a design on your cookies.

To bake edible flowers, they will need to be adhered to your baking. All you need is some egg white to stick the flowers to the surface of the cookie dough before baking.

To use egg white, gently brush onto the surface of the cookie just underneath where the flower will be placed, before placing the flower on top of the cookie.

Use the egg white to brush over the top of the flower as well, to gently secure the petals down even further, to the cookie top.

Be careful not to dribble egg white to other spots on the cookie, as this may cause some discolouration on the cookie itself with the baking process.

Violas and pansies bake very well, and the petals become so thin and crispy that you hardly even notice the flower as you bite into the cookie. You will notice the design however, which is exactly what you want.

How To Make Edible Flower Cookies

Edible flowers can be baked onto the tops of your cookies.

They can also be placed onto the cookies without baking, such as adding them on to freshly iced cookies, for a colourful garnish.

Start with a favourite cookie recipe, pick out your flowers, and decide just how you will be using them to decorate the cookies.

Edible Flower Shortbread Cookies Recipe

This shortbread cookie recipe is a favourite, and works well with edible flowers.

The cookies are easy to make and easy to decorate, with just a few simple ingredients. They are light and fluffy, and will melt in your mouth with their buttery goodness.

This recipe is baked, so make sure to use edible flowers that hold up to the heat.

Ingredients

• ½ cup cornstarch

• ½ cup icing sugar

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 egg white

• edible flowers

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, including cornstarch, icing sugar, and flour.

Blend in the softened butter, and stir the mixture until smooth. You can use a food processor to mix the ingredients, or easily do this by hand as well.

If the shortbread dough is soft, cover with plastic wrap, and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before forming the cookies.

You can use rolled dough, and cut the cookies out with a round cookie cutter.

Even easier, you can start by rolling the cookies into small balls.

Do this by shaping the cookies into one inch round balls, and then place them onto a greased baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.

With a fork, flatten each cookie to about ¼ inch thickness. This process is so easy.

You can make a lattice design on the top of the cookies by placing the fork horizontally and then vertically, onto the cookie surface.

Now it's time to decorate with edible flowers.

Decorate With Edible Flowers

With a pastry brush or small paint brush, place a small amount of egg white onto the surface of the cookie, where you intend to stick the flower piece.

Take the flower, and gently push it into the egg white, adhering the petals to the surface of the cookie.

Adding more egg white to the top of the flower helps the petals to stick even more, as it seeps down under any parts that remain unstuck.

You can sprinkle the flowers with some granulated sugar for an extra sweet touch, although this is not necessary.

Be creative with your flowers, and really, anything goes. Use whole flowers, stems and leaves, tiny buds, and different colors.

Remember, the flowers will dehydrate when they are baked, so the design will change slightly.

Just before baking, pop the tray of flowers into the fridge for fifteen minutes to cool the dough.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F.

Bake

After the cookies have chilled for 15 minutes remove them from the fridge.

Place them on the middle rack in your oven.

Bake at 325°F for approximately 16 minutes.

Remove from the oven when done, and allow to cool completely before removing them from the baking tray.

These cookies remain fairly soft until cooled, so I tend not to place the warm cookies on a wire rack due to their delicate nature. They are much more easily handled when cool.

Storage

These cookies literally melt in your mouth with the first bite. They are light and airy, with a beautiful buttery flavor.

They should be carefully stored or placed out on a serving tray in such a manner that they are not placed on top of one another, to preserve their beautiful shape and presentation.

Store in an air tight container.

Royal Icing And Edible Flowers

For those edible flowers that don't bake well, consider placing them in royal icing on top of your favourite sugar cookie.

I decorated some sugar cookies with royal icing and lilacs this spring.

Make and serve within a few days for best results.

Royal Icing

Making royal icing is pretty easy.

All you need is:

• icing sugar,

• pasteurized egg white

• and room temperature water.

For a large batch of royal icing, use 2 cups of unsifted icing sugar, one pasteurized egg white, and enough volume of water to create a slight flowing consistency in the icing, but not too runny.

For a smaller batch of icing, just halve the amount of ingredients. If the icing becomes too runny, just add more icing sugar.

Likewise, if the icing becomes too thick, just add a bit more water until you get the right consistency.

Decorating The Cookies

Bake your favourite sugar cookies.

Decorate the cookies once they are fully cooled.

Cover the cookie surface with royal icing. Smooth the icing across the surface of the cookie, wherever you want the icing to be.

Apply your edible flowers to the sticky surface of the icing before the icing begins to dry and set.

It may be best to ice and decorate one cookie at a time.

If the icing starts to thicken in the bowl before you are done, you can add a bit more water to make it more runny.

Allow the icing to dry on the cookies for twenty four hours before serving.

Edible Flower Cookies Recipe Card

Conclusion

Making edible cookies is such fun, and the beautiful cookies which result makes a baker feel proud.

What a beautiful treat for any special occasion, like a mother’s day celebration, or any type of shower or party.

Make sure to use organic flowers for safety reasons.

Use your favourite shortbread or sugar cookie recipe as a base, and watch the magic happen.

You can use many different flowers, depending on what's blooming. I am looking forward to using rose petals and lavender, once those plants begin to bloom.

Have fun, be creative, and enjoy your edible flower cookies.

Have you ever made edible flower cookies? Be sure to leave a comment below to share your experience!

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