Candied Violets
Makes 100
Candied violets are quaint and Victorian and lovely. They are also unbelievably tedious to make. That said, they make unusual gifts and are fun to have in your own pantry to sprinkle gaily over very special desserts. I can't stress enough the "very" part -- you don't want to waste these on just anyone. You should use them only for people you adore, people you are related to, or people who are in a position to give you a raise.
I started making candied violets several years ago because I'd decided that the time had come to begin making most birthday and Christmas gifts, instead of buying them. How I came to this decision is beyond me; our children were very young at the time, and my free time was at a minimum. Who can explain the whims of someone with zillions of gorgeous wild violets growing in the woods around her house?
At any rate, I'd seen methods which called for painting the egg white onto each separate little part of each violet blossom with a miniature paint-brush, for God's sake, and I thought that just sounded ludicrous. I just dunk my violets into the egg white, and paint-brushing be damned. This works just fine, and the majority of the violets are still recognizably violets, not just purplish clumps.
Of course it goes without saying that you should only use unsprayed, untreated violets. We get ours from the woods, but in springtime, lots of people have them in their yards, too, assuming you haven't mowed for at least a week or so. If the eggs in your area are questionable as far as the risk of salmonella, feel free to substitute an equivalent amount of meringue powder, available at many baking supply stores.
1 large egg white
1/3 cup water
1 16-oz. box superfine sugar
100 freshly picked violets on the stem
-- In a small, deep bowl, lightly beat together the egg white and water. Set aside.
-- Pour the sugar into something smallish and deep, like a loaf pan. Working with 1 violet at a time (I warned you, this is tedious!), dip the violet into the egg white mixture, then hold it over the sugar and snip the blossom from its stem. Gently scoop more sugar on top of the violet so that it's completely covered. Discard the stem. Your scissors will get really gummed up after a few dozen violets, so you may have to stop and rinse them from time to time.
-- Remove the violet from the sugar with a fork and lay it carefully on a wire rack to dry completely. Repeat until remaining violets are gone, or you are ready to scream, whichever comes first. Allow violets to completely dry at room temperature for several days before storing in airtight containers.
Storage
Candied violets keep for several months in a cool, dark place, and look gorgeous scattered over cakes, ice cream, and custards.
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