Candied Violets from the Lawn

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It’s Spring, it’s Jackie, it’s Venus in a rage, it’s Carême and croquembouche,
Crème Violette. Flower-filled cravats of dissolute color, Huysman and Proust in Parma, in lust.
It’s Napoleon and Josephine, violets in your hair, violets, violets everywhere.

Grab your snips and head out to the lawn — Viola Sororia with freckles or without — as many as you like or have the ambition to dandify. They take far less time than you might imagine.

Hang yourself a horizontal wire, and have on hand one beaten egg white, superfine sugar — you can blitz your caster in a cuisinart if you haven’t any on hand — violet coloring if you care for a bit more dash, and a paint brush. 

On wax paper, or the like, set your flower face down and paint the backside, turn and paint the petals from the top. Hold over your sugar bowl and gently spoon and sprinkle until covered.  Hang on the wire to retain their lovely shape and let dry. Carefully stored you’ll have them to decorate all year long.

That’s it–Voila Viola.