Spring has always been my favourite season , when blossoms appear in full beauty, even if only for a short moment. It feels like they’re just stopping by to say a quick hello, which is exactly why I try to catch them before they are gone.
One bloom I always look forward to is sakura (cherry blossom).
Lately, these trees have become quite popular in my area. You’ll find them lining streets and brightening parks, it really makes the streets and parks beautiful each spring.
Before all of the petals fall, I like to gather a few to preserve. I enjoy using them later in cakes and biscuits.
A couple of years ago, I developed my own way of preserving them. Traditional Japanese methods tend to be quite salty for some, so I adapted mine to bring in a balance of gentle sourness and sweetness, something that suits more palates here, though the traditional version is beautiful in its own way too.
So I gathered a basketful of blossoms and leaves to preserve for future bakes.
And of course, my little kitty (Blu) was right there with me, more excited than I was, watching everything I did and not missing a single moment outdoors (see how he's peeping in between those trunks, lol).
With some of my previously preserved blossoms, I decided to make sakura biscuits. This recipe is a little different from what you might usually see, as I’ve adapted it to include my homemade sakura syrup, made from fermented blossoms and leaves, which gives it a delicate floral flavour with a hint of tangy sweetness.
🌸 Cherry Blossom Butter Biscuit 🌸
🧈 Ingredients:
• 200g salted butter (softened)
• 80g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp cherry blossom syrup 🌸 (or chopped blossoms if you don’t have syrup)
• 250g plain flour
Optional: preserved edible blossoms for decoration (if dried, soak briefly in water to hydrate and avoid burning)
🌿 Method:
Cream the butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.
Mix in the egg yolk.
Egg yolks increased the volume a bit and made it fluffier.
Then add the cherry blossom syrup.
Mix well, and it will turn a little pinky.
Fold in the flour to form a soft dough.
The dough should be soft but not too sticky.
Wrap and flatten the dough and chill for 15 minutes.
Roll out to about 6mm thickness.
Cut into shapes. Transfer to an oiled or buttered baking tray.
Gently press wet blossom onto each biscuits.
Bake at 160°C for 12 to 15 minutes...
so the flowers don’t burn and the biscuits stay pale.
Allow to cool completely before serving.
Sweet, floral, and delicately buttery biscuit.
And I only realised that this syrup and these blossoms were preserved for 2 years and tasted fresh! so my preservation technique worked well. Sakura Blossom Preservation
They can be kept for 10 days in an airtight container, 2 weeks in the fridge, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
The taste of these preserved flowers is similar to raisins but has an almondy and floral aroma.
And was a delicious snack! and I am pleased with how it turned out.
Have a lovely day.
Mariah 🌸
