Fiona Cairnss cake decorations: Crystallised flowers and leaves

By Sarah Stephens 730AM GMT eighteen March 2010

Crystallised flowering plants and leaves Photo LAURA HYND

Makes as most as you want.

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These should keep for up to a week in a dry place. Use unsprayed flowering plants that are utterly dry.

egg white, easily whisked

white caster sugar

edible flowering plants and leaves, such as total roses or rose petals, violas, pansies, violets, mimosa, cowslips, pinks, primroses, lavender, honeyed geranium leaves, packet leaves

a small paintbrush

florists handle (optional)

Line a baking piece with parchment. Place the egg white in a play and the sugarine in another. Hold the flower, petal or root at the bottom and paint with egg, ensuring you cover each fold. Gently shower on the sugar, again creation certain each aspect is covered, afterwards shake up off the excess. If crystallising total roses, pull a excellent florists handle by the bottom of the freshness afterwards offshoot the handle over a tall glass. Leave overnight in a dry, comfortable place. The flowering plant will dry whilst hanging. Lay petals or leaves on the lined piece and leave overnight in a dry, comfortable place (an airing sideboard is ideal). They will toughen in a integrate of hours, apropos brittle. Store in an indisputable container, lined and interleaved with baking parchment. They are really fragile, so have usually a integrate of layers.