Colorful Gardens Retail in Jamesport

08/25/2021

Flower Lollipops

Supplies:
–clear peppermint hard candies (or whatever clear flavor candy you like)
–dried pressed flowers (be safe and buy fried edible flowers)
–silicone lollipop mold
–lollipop sticks
–cellophane treat bags with twist ties
-baking sheet

Step One: Preheat oven to 250°F. Place silicone mold on baking sheet and add one flower (face down) in each cavity.

Step Two: Place lollipop sticks in each cavity.

Step Three: Place one or two peppermint candies in each cavity. If you are unsure of how much candy your mold will hold, try melting one candy first, then adding a second and melting a second time. I figured out that these molds worked best with two or three candies.

Step Four: Place the baking sheet and mold in the oven and bake for 30-60 minutes, or until the hard candy has melted completely. If necessary, rotate the lollipop sticks to make sure they are completely coated with melted candy. Allow the lollipops to cool and harden completely before gently popping them out of their molds. (This should take less than 30 minutes.) Cooled lollipops should be enjoyed right away or packaged in cello bags to keep them from getting too sticky.

08/18/2021

08/01/2021

Calendula and Thyme Shortbread Cookies

* DISCLAIMER: Please remember, If you make any of the recipes we have posted using flowers, be sure to purchase edible flowers from a reliable source. Do not pick wildflowers as we do not know if they have been exposed to any pesticides or other chemicals that could be harmful to you if you and ingest them.

Ingredients

* 14 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice optional, but use 2 more Tbsp butter in its place
* 1 Tbsp lemon zest
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
* 3-4 Tbsp minced calendula flower petals*
* 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
* pinch salt

Instructions

* Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) and stir to combine. Then add the flour, arrowroot, calendula, thyme, and salt.�
* Gently stir everything together until the dough barely holds together. It will seem a bit floury, but that’s ok.�
* Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a log shape.�
* Wrap it tightly with parchment paper, twisting the ends to help hold it all together.�
* Put in the fridge or freezer for about 30 minutes, or until firm. You can store the dough for several days in the fridge, or for several weeks in the freezer, if need be. �
* When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°F. Slice the log into 1/4 inch rounds.�
* Put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, about an inch or so apart. They don’t really spread much.�
* Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check them closely after 25 minutes, as they will start to brown pretty quickly. Take them out when only the edges just barely start to turn golden. The centers will still be fairly soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will firm up as they cool.

07/16/2021

LILAC DREAM CHEESECAKE*

* when using flowers in cooking be certain to use organic or flowers you know have not been exposed to pesticides or fertilizers.

**make sure to check for a little bugs at like to live inside the flowers and rinse well. For this particular recipe you can place the lilacs in a strainer and rinse well or dunk in water for about 10 minutes and then dry between paper towels.

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
* ½ cup raw cashews
* 1 soft medjool date, pitted
* ½ tbsp maple syrup (or a raw sweetener of your choice)
* ½ tbsp coconut oil (use an unscented kind, so no coconut taste)

Filling:

* ¾ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
* 5 tbsp lilac water*** or plant milk
* 4 tbsp maple syrup (or a raw sweetener of your choice)
* 2 tbsp coconut oil (use an unscented kind, so no coconut taste)
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
* ¼ tsp salt
* 1 cup loosely packed fresh lilac flowers**
* ½ tbsp maqui berry powder

Toppings:

* fresh lilac flowers, a few wild strawberry blossoms

INSTRUCTIONS�
1. Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a sticky crumble. Transfer into a 5″ springform pan and press down into an even crust, lightly raising it around the edges just a bit. Place in the freezer while working on the next step.

2. Blend all filling ingredients except for lilac flowers and maqui in a power blender into a smooth cheesecake consistency. Add the lilac flowers and blend them in. Remove and set aside about ⅔ of this mixture. Add the maqui powder to the ⅓ of the mixture remaining in the blender and blend until smooth. Spoon the mixtures into the springform pan over the crust, alternating between the purple and white mixture until you run out. Lightly swirl the two mixtures together with a spoon or a skewer.

3. Freeze the cake for 4-5 hours or overnight to set. Decorate with fresh lilac flowers prior to serving and enjoy! Can thaw out for 15 mins or so for a softer texture or enjoy straight out of the freezer.

NOTE

-To pre-soak cashews: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, cheesecake-like consistency.

***For the lilac water, combine an additional 1/2 a cup of lilac flowers with 3/4 cup water and let sit at room temperature for a few hours to infuse. Then strain off the flowers and use the water in the recipe. This step is optional, so can also use plant milk instead if you prefer. See notes above the recipe in the tips section for more details on the lilac water.



07/06/2021

HONEYSUCKLE ICED TEA

Ingredients
(Makes 2 glasses)

* 2-3 cups of honeysuckle flowers - the golden or yellow ones but not wilted. The white don’t seem to have enough nectar.
* 2 cups water
* Extra water to add as needed
* Honey, Sugar, Stevia - your preference of sweetener to taste.

Instructions

1. Rinse flowers with cold water.
2. Remove the green bulb part at the bottom of the flowers if it is still there. Do not pull out the stamen.
3. In a large pot, boil 2 cups of water on the stovetop. Once the water is at a full boil, turn off the heat and dump the flowers into the water.
4. Stir the flowers gently and then place a lid on your pot and allow the flowers to steep for at least ONE hour, but I highly recommend a few more for a stronger flavor.
5. Strain the honeysuckle flowers and debris out of the water to remove all of the flower petals and allow to cool.
6. Can be stored in refrigerator for a week in an airtight container, but is best when served immediately.
7. Fill a large glass with ice. Pour the honeysuckle water over the ice. Sweeten with desired sweetener. Adjust taste by adding water if too strong.

06/24/2021

Candied Rose Petals

Ingredients

* 1 unsprayed edible rose bloom
* 1 large egg white
* 1/2 cup superfine sugar (or just blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery)

DIRECTIONS

-Very carefully pluck the individual edible petals from the rose bloom.

-Gently wash the rose petals, trying not to bruise them. Place the petals on kitchen towels or paper towels and let them be until they’re completely dry. You may wish to dab the petals with a clean, dry towel to ensure they’re completely dry.

-Place a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet.

-Crack the egg white into a small bowl and whisk it with a fork. Dump the superfine sugar into a shallow bowl or onto a plate.

-Gently paint a rose petal with the egg white using a new soft bristle paintbrush or instead simply dip the petal in the egg white, turning to coat both sides and allowing any extra to drop off, and then place the petal in the bowl of superfine sugar, turning to coat both sides and sprinkling on extra, if necessary, so the petals are completely coated with sugar.

-Space the candied rose petals apart on a wire cooling rack and leave until dry and hardened.

-Use the candied rose petals the same day as they’ll become soft and wet if left too long (even if stored in a sealed container).