Child's artist's paint brush
2 Tb egg white, substitute a few drops of vodka
1/2 C sugar, plus 2 Tb
30 violets, 20 viola or 12 pansies
Rinse the flowers and spin them dry. Place them stem side down on a
paper towel, and let them dry until they open back up (violets only).
Spread the 1/2 cup sugar out in a glass pie plate. In a small bowl,
whisk the egg substitute with the vodka until frothy. Dip the brush into
the egg white, run it sparingly around the base of the stem under the
flower. Dip the brush again and dab it into the center of the flower and
brush outwards sparingly. Repeat until all the petals are slightly
moist. Gently press the open flowers face down into the sugar. Sprinkle
additional sugar on the base of the flower and which should be facing
up. Leave them there until they dry. Partially dry flowers can be gently
lifted off of the sugar and placed on a paper towel to continue drying,
but they must be dry enough so that the petals don't droop and stick
together when you transfer them. When the flowers are COMPLETELY dry,
place them into a covered glass jar. Seal and keep in a cool dark place
until used to decorate cakes, pudding, ice cream, and other desserts.
Caution: See Caution in main article.
