Press Flowers For Elegantly Decorated Cookies

If you feel that eating flowers is a bit too far on the adventurous side for your liking, you'll be glad to know that you can still make use of their rich colors without feeling like you're nibbling on a bouquet. When certain blossoms are pressed this eliminates their taste, so you're left with beautiful food decor that doesn't compromise the flavor of a dish or a dessert like cookies. To create this elegant aesthetic, all you have to do is pick your favorite vibrant edible flowers. 

These can be right from your garden or found in the produce section at the supermarket, which sometimes has a special shelf dedicated to edible varieties. Next, trim off the stems and bulky areas leading up to the petals. Place the flowers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with another layer of parchment and a stack of heavy books. After allowing them to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes, they're ready to be pressed into warm, freshly baked cookies.

Most commonly, you'll see many recipes and bakers using pressed flowers on shortbread cookies. This is likely because it's versatile and can be customized with various food colorings and flavors. Some recipes have you roll out the dough, press the flowers in, and then bake. However, the heat of the oven can severely dull the color of the flowers and cause them to shrivel up, so we recommend pressing them in after baking, while the cookie is still warm and pliable.

So, exactly what types of blossoms can you use? This trick works with any edible flowers, so pansies, roses, marigolds, lavender, violets, and chamomile are all wonderful choices. Just be sure not to use any versions from the craft store or gardening section at the market, as these are often sprayed with pesticides and chemicals.

And just because shortbread is the most common cookie found with pressed petals, doesn't mean that's the only recipe you can use. Try pressing flowers into the tops of sugar cookies, French macarons, and even in the center of thumbprints for a colorful garnish. For holidays, try coordinating themes like pressed roses on Valentine's Day red velvet cookies, bright spring pansies on lavender Easter varieties, and marigolds on spiced flavors to ring in autumn.