My City May 2022

MYDISH

Pans Perfec ! BY ERIN CAUDELL TOMAKE Add sugar and butter to a food pro

A fter such a long winter, we are all looking to enjoy spring owers in every way possible! ‡is includes in corporating the edible varieties into recipes to make them extra special. Pansies are a traditional edible ow er and their lovely faces are so spring like. Many other varieties are available to explore, as well. Culinary herbs have edible owers – such as lavender, oregano, chamomile, borage or any member of the onion family, including chives. Some of my favorites to use in salads are daylilies, squash blossoms, nasturtiums and calendula.‡rough out the season, you may ‹nd some surprises blooming in your backyard that you never knew you could eat! One fun way of using edible owers is to decorate these perfectly sweet cookies for a special occasion. ‡e basic recipe below is a great start for inspiring creativity – you can also add a little lemon zest and/or laven

cessor and pulse to combine. Scrape the bowl down and add our and vanilla ex tract while mixing on low, then pulse until the dough comes together in clumps. Flour a surface and gently push the dough into a smooth, at disc. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrig erate it for at least an hour. While the dough is chilling, remove pansy stems and place the blossoms face down on parchment paper. Cover them with another piece of parchment paper, then place a cookie sheet ( at side) on top of them with a couple of books for weight (to gently atten the blossoms). Preheat the oven to 325°F. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut rounds with a cookie cutter (or small glass). Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes.‡ey will not be brown, but pale and soft, just starting to change color on the bottom when ready to take out of the oven. Gently press pansy blossoms into the hot cookies; the heat will adhere them to the cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.‡ey will ‹rm up as they cool. ® Enjo !

Iryna Melnyk / stock.adobe.com

tanyapelyustka / stock.adobe.com

der paste for extra avor. Shortbrea Cookies INGREDIENTS • 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature • ½ cup granulated sugar + 2 tsp for sprinkling • 2 cups all purpose our • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract • Fresh pansy blossoms

Erin Caudell is co-owner of

The Local Grocer, a horticulturalist, herbalist and farmer.

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