Serendib Kitchen

One of the interesting aspects of working with edible flowers is the question of ‘what does edible mean, exactly?’ There are lots of plants where if you consume a large amount, it may make you ill, but a few petals won’t hurt you at all.

I’m not a doctor, or an herbal expert, so generally if you see me using flowers in cooking, please don’t take it as an assurance that you can just go ahead and cook with them willy-nilly — do your own research! And please take extra care if you’re pregnant.

But all that said, a few petals of mountain bluet (centaurea montana), considered an astringent herb, are lovely on a lime & rosewater shortbread cookie, and according to Texas A&M University, the flowers are edible. I think you’d be safe scattering a few petals in a salad as well. I wouldn’t make a stir-fry from the plant, though!

“An astringent herb, its flowers have been used as an ingredient for eye ailments such as conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers as well as for minor wounds and ulcers of the mouth. Flowers are edible. Extracts of the plant are used in shampoos and conditioners. Dry flowers for pot pourris. Centaurea is named for Chiron, a centaur known for his herb knowledge and who first introduced Centaurea as a healing plant.”

https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/…/pla…/Centaureamontana.html

Recipe here: https://serendibkitchen.com/…/lime-rosewater…/

The tamarind lends a complex fruity note to these chocolate scones, and the cayenne is just enough to leave a little heat on the tongue. You can, of course, skip the cayenne if you’d prefer!

(If you don’t have a mini scone pan, you can cut and shape these by hand, and bake on a regular baking sheet, placing them quite close together. If you pop them in the freezer for 30 minute before baking, they’ll hold shape better.)

2 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup cold butter

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 T tamarind paste
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 t. cayenne
1/2 c. chocolate chips for drizzling

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray mini scone pan with Baker’s Joy (or butter and flour pan, which will be kind of a pain).

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Chop butter in small pieces and cut into flour with a pastry cutter (or with your fingers) until mixture resembles coarse meal. (It’s fine to have small lumps.)

3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining 5 scone ingredients, beating eggs lightly. Pour into dry mixture and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times. Cut into 16 equal pieces and press into the cavities of the pan.

5. Bake 20-25 or until medium brown. Let cool 20 minutes in pan, then remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely. Serve warm, with coffee or tea.

6. Optional: Chocolate drizzle. Melt chocolate in double boiler on stovetop or on low power in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Drizzle chocolate (spooning it into a pastry bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off makes it easier) over the top, and let dry until set. (Or, if you want it more indulgent, dip the scones in melted chocolate!)

Mostly me, but with some help from Kavi and Kevin. Not perfect — the icing was a little too liquid, so some blurring of the details. But the overall effect will be charming, and this is just for friends and family, so it’s fine.

Well, I didn’t get through ALL the computer work on my list, but the vast majority of it, and I got an extension on the last thing ’til tomorrow, so when my brain starting melting at 3 p.m. — teatime is usually about my limit — I switched to baking for Kavi’s party instead.

Kevin mixed up the cookie dough and the royal icing, and I got to do the fun parts. One cookie done, another fifty or so to go…

Collected redbuds yesterday and made redbud syrup — I think I have enough to include one in each of the spring treat boxes (which I’m finally getting ready to ship out). (Had a nice chat with a neighbor while collecting redbuds, whose five-year-old was delightedly running around the fairy garden parts — hi, Savannah!)

I’m feeling very kitchen / garden witchy this morning — pictured below, dandelion syrup, muscari syrup, and lots of redbud syrup. Use them in cocktails / mocktails, drizzled on pancakes or ice cream, etc. and so on.