Sweet Violet Sugar for Cakes & Bakes
– Floral Gift in a Jar –
Home-made Sweet Violet Sugar for Cakes and Bakes
British Mothering Sunday is on the 18th March this year, and over the next week I shall be posting come ideas for this special day; today, I am sharing another violet recipe, Sweet Violet Sugar – a delightful old-fashioned floral sugar that is wonderful when added to cakes, bakes, desserts, custards, ice creams as well as home-made chocolates and sweets. This sugar is easy to make and would make a thoughtful gift for a mum who loves to bake……..just adorn the jar with a fabric mob-cap and pretty ribbon, whilst attaching a card with recipe ideas written on it. Or, make a jar now, and allow it to infuse for a week before using it in something special for your mum on Mothering Sunday……I will be posting some cake and chocolate gift ideas next week, some that use this sugar and some that use my Sweet Violet Syrup and Crystallised Violets too.
Sweet Violet Sugar
Why not make a Violet Trio of gifts for your Mum? And then pack it all together in an old wicker basket with a recipe card or a cookbook……….or, make the violet trio in readiness for Easter, this floral sugar, as well as the syrup and candied flowers would be wonderful for Easter baking. There is so much we can use when we forage, and I love cooking with flowers as well as herbs…….sometimes I feel we all miss so much that grows in our hedgerows and on the verges, as well as in our own gardens. If you don’t have any violets in your garden, why not buy some plants or seeds……with the right growing conditions they will have established themselves in just a couple of years, as mine did, and then you will have some amazing scented flowers to add to your posy jars as well as your pantry, in other words, access to a floral larder for nearly a month.
Freshly picked wild sweet violets
Sweet Violet Sugar for Cakes & Bakes
Print recipe
| Serves | 1 small jar |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Condiment, Dessert |
| Misc | Gourmet, Pre-preparable |
| Occasion | Birthday Party |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- Fresh sweet violets (pesticide free)
- caster sugar
Note
Make sure the violets are dry when adding to the sugar, and they are free from pesticides.
Directions
| Step 1 | Take a clean, sterile jar and layer the fresh violets in the jar with alternating layers of caster sugar. |
| Step 2 | Seal and allow to infuse for a week, in a dark cool place. |
| Step 3 | After a week the sugar can be used in cakes, bakes, desserts, ice creams etc, The violets can be left in for a stronger flavour; sieve the sugar before using. |
Home-made Sweet Violet Sugar
I hope you have enjoyed my violet recipes so far, I have to shoot off now as I am meeting up with friends, but I will see you later with more recipes and general musings and ramblings……bye for now, Karen.
Charlotte @gofreecakes says
Lovely recipe, Karen. I wish I had some sweet violets in my garden as I love their perfume and they are also very pretty. Another gorgeous idea!
Karen says
Thanks Charlotte, if you DID have some violets in your garden then you would have access to a floral larder for nearly a month! Karen
Choclette says
Karen, I love the things you come up with. This is such a brilliant idea. Unfortunately for me, the sweet violets that I foraged whilst we were out a couple of weeks ago sat in a jar – I had not thought of doing anything as splendid as this with them. AND I’m not likely to come across any more this year. I’ve made crystalised violets before but never sugar – love it and your pictures too.
Karen says
They MIGHT just be okay for flavoured sugar if they still hold a fragrance Choclette……dried violets still command a strong scent! The sugar is such an easy “recipe” and the results are fabulous!
Fuss Free Helen says
Lovely idea and photos as always Karen
How you find the energy for so much output I do not know!
Karen says
Thanks Helen! 🙂 Maybe I should try sending the photos to FoodGawker! LOL! This was an easy activity, and I made this sugar a week ago……it’s ready to use now in a special cake I have planned. Karen
Fiona Maclean says
don’t sue!!!;)
Karen says
What Fiona??? Don’t sue who? 🙂
Annie says
Sweet violet sugar, what a delight, although sadly I have no idea where I’d come by sufficient wild violets. I spot them once in a while hereabouts but never in such numbers that I could feel justified in picking them. I will have to keep my eyes peeled!
Karen says
Thanks Annie. You can buy sweet violet plants at most good garden centres, and they do increase every year once established.
All That I'm Eating says
This looks like such a nice gift for someone! I love going foraging although I only ever find elderflowers, never found (probably missed them!) violets. Since I started growing my own I have wanted to include edible flowers in the garden. Maybe I’ll start with violets.
Karen says
Thanks! Violets are really easy to grow and the multiply each year, so my modest patch of violets that I planted 6 years ago, covers the whole lawn now! I also have elderflowers in my garden, but I’ll save them for later, as they are not out yet!
Kirsten Lauridsen says
Hi Karen, I am saving your recipes on violets (sugar and syrup) for me to try out, when the violets will be flowering here in Denmark. I think this will be 3-4 weeks from now. Thank you for sharing your recipes and ideas with us.
Many kitchen greetings Kirsten
Karen says
Thanks Kirsten, I look forward to hearing how your sugar and all the other violet recipes turn out! Thanks for your lovely comments. Karen
Nell says
This is such a lovely idea! I will have to get some violets for the garden. Beautiful photos 🙂
Karen says
Thanks so much Nell! The sugar is highly scented and a wonderful addition to cakes and bakes.
DollyBakes says
Sooooo pretty!
Karen says
Thanks! 🙂
Jacqueline says
How pretty is that? Absolutely beautiful photos Karen! You really are an inspiration 🙂
Karen says
Thanks Jac…..so easy to make and lovely in cakes and bakes!
Javelin Warrior says
Karen, another beautiful use of violets. It reminds me of the concept of making vanilla sugar and what I wouldn’t give to have fresh violets to create a jar of this sugar… ::sigh::
Karen says
Next year, maybe I could send you some? It would be my pleasure!
Denise says
How sweet does this look! I would love to get a gift that looked so pretty.
Karen says
BIG thanks again Denise, lovely to see you here! 🙂
Jaime says
Such a lovely idea! I love flavoured sugars and love using flowers and herbs in cooking too.
Karen says
Thanks Jaime – it’s easy to make and really makes cakes and bakes taste special.
Maya Russell says
We’ve some violets on the driveway which I can use! Great idea.
anthony harrington says
what a fab idea! very pretty too!
olivia kirby says
Lovely idea! Tweeted
Tracy Nixon says
Wonderful! Shared via G+
Sheri Reese says
Will violets just dry out in sugar and keep their color and shape? I have some layered in a jar hoping to be Abe to use them on top of a cake, as decorations, in February. I want the to look like fresh so I carefully placed the heads in the sugar and covered them. Think it will work? They will not be intended to be eaten.
Karen says
NOT sure about that Sheri – I always dip mine in egg white and then sugar!
Sheri Reese says
Thank you for your note, Karen. It is to hot for sweet violets here so I am trying to dry African violet blossoms as cake decorations. Since I’ve seen varying opinions about whether they are edible or not, I do not plan on anyone eating them.