12 August 2022
Recipes

Edible Flowers & Afternoon Tea Recipes

Noami Barker Afternoon Dessert Cups

Afternoon Tea is a great British tradition and did you know that…. there is a whole week dedicated to it?!

This celebration runs from the 8th to the 14th of August and here at Nurtured in Norfolk, we’re all super excited about it! It’s the perfect excuse to catch up with friends and family over a pot of tea and British treats decorated with a range of Edible Flowers and Micro Herbs.

Whether you’re a new lover of afternoon tea, or a life-long fan – we’ve got lots of niche ideas to get your taste buds buzzing! One of the most traditional British drinks has to be a good cup of tea! It’s a well-known favourite and loved by a lot of people. Do you ever think that it needs a little something extra? Some decoration or added flavour? Well, one of our new products can help with both of those! Have you guessed what it is yet… that’s right, it’s our dried fruit range!

This range is something new but it’s proving very popular, and we have lots of different fruits to choose from. Including dried oranges, dried kaffir limes, dried lemon slices and hopefully even more of a variety to come. But, what can you use them for? Our dried fruit slices can be used to decorate any culinary creation, whether that’s a starter, main course or dessert. They have a very sweet and citrusy flavouring, so why not try infusing that into hot drinks. They can also be used in cocktails, punch and much more.

Here is a recipe from the very talented Buck Rogers. It’s a raspberry mocktail that is sure to compliment any homemade afternoon tea festivity.

Ingredients

  • Ginger Ale (125ml)
  • Homemade Raspberry Syrup (25ml)
  • Fresh Lime Juice (15ml)
  • Wedges of Lime (3)
  • Fresh Mint (1)
Raspberry Cocktail with Mint Edible Leaves Raspberry Cocktail Garnished with Mint Edible Leaves

Raspberry Syrup

  • In a saucepan mix one cup of granulated sugar and one cup of water and bring to the boil. Once boiled turned down to a low heat and add one cup of raspberries, cook until the fruit has broken down. Strain and bottle.

Mocktail

  • Muddle the lime wedges and mint leaves in the bottom of a short tumbler. Add the raspberry syrup and fresh lime juice. Add crushed ice and mix. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with mint and a fresh lime wedge.
Dried Kaffir Lime Fruit Slices Dried Kaffir Lime Fruit

How delicious does that sound? If you wanted to really elevate this cocktail, how about adding a slice of our dried kaffir lime to the glass as decoration – that’s sure to get everyone talking. Our dried fruit is also delectable when eaten as a snack or even dipped into chocolate and left to set in the fridge. This could also make a delicious, sweet treat as part of an afternoon tea arrangement.

Miniature Pressed Viola Edible Flowers Miniature Pressed Viola Edible Flowers

How can you celebrate afternoon tea week?

There are various ways to take part in this delicious event! One way that you can enjoy the occasion is to host an afternoon tea party. This would be a great opportunity to bring the whole family together over some British delicacies. If you were wondering what the most popular menu items are at afternoon tea, you’re in the right place. Whilst doing our research, we found that Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary had lots of interesting information, so here are the top 10 afternoon tea favourites polled by the Trussell Trust.

Number One: Scones with clotted cream and jam

We all knew that scones were going to come in at the top, but if you wanted to brighten the plate up a little, our delicate Miniature Pressed Edible Viola Flowers are sure to do the job! These add a multitude of colour to any baking creation.

Dried Edible Sunflower Petals Dried Edible Sunflower Petals

Number Two: Victoria Sponge

This is one of the most basic cakes out there, but a British classic nonetheless and it never disappoints. If you wanted to put a special twist on this delicacy, then our Dried Edible Sunflowers will not disappoint! These our one of our new products and we love them! With a bittersweet undertone and a mild nutty flavour, they will turn your Victoria Sponge into a brighter, tastier dessert.

Daikon Micro Cress Edible Garnish Radish Daikon Micro Herbs

Number Three: Egg Mayonnaise and Micro Cress Sandwiches

Surprise your guests this summer and elevate the ‘Egg & Cress Sandwich’ with our Radish Daikon Micro Cress! This peppery flavoured superfood is similar to your average cress but adds a fiery kick in very small amounts. Brilliant for complimenting a variety of classic sandwich fillings.

Ruby Frills Micro Herbs Ruby Frills Micro Cress

Number Four: Ham and Mustard Sandwiches

A good choice coming in at No. 4 here, very flavourful and super easy to make. Enhancing this sandwich would be super easy with our range of Mustard Micro Herbs. Our Ruby Frills Micro Cress, is also known as Mustard Frills. This Micro Herb intensifies all mustard aromas and flavours and would suit this sandwich perfectly.

Brownies with pressed edible flowers Mode & Grace Brownies Decorated with Pressed Edible Flowers

Number Five: Brownies

For all you chocolate lovers.. (and that’s everyone, right?!) this one is for you! Another favourite that can be simple to make, melts in the mouth and gets your taste buds turning. Bakers often enhance their brownies and sweet treats by adding our Edible Pressed Flowers prior to being baked.

Pressed Edible flowers are often a favourite for our amazingly talented bakers and pastry chefs, these include edible Flowers such as Pressed Mini Daisies, Pressed Edible Pansy’s, Pressed Paradise Flowers and many more.

Rose Dust surrounded by Rose petals Rose Dusting Powder

Number Six: Cupcakes

Something that needs no excuse to be eaten all year round… CUPCAKES! These can be really varied in flavour and appearance and who doesn’t love a cupcake? If you haven’t yet tried our Dusting Powders, this might be the perfect opportunity too. These are frequently added into mixtures and pastes, for flavouring or colour!

Dried Lime Slices Dried Lemon Slices Dried Kaffir Lime Slices Dried Orange Slices Dried Oranges, Dried Lime and Dried Lemons

Number Seven: Chocolate Digestive Biscuit

These are loved all year round, melting in the sun or with a crunch in the winter and go down a treat when delicately dunked into an English Breakfast Tea. If you are looking to upgrade your cup of tea, our Dried Fruit range is frequently utilised for infusing drinks with their citrusy and sweet flavour.

calendula orange edible flowers dusting powder Calendula Edible Flower Dusting Powder

Number Eight: Tea Cakes

Sweet bread & sultanas.. arguably the perfect combination for a sweet breakfast treat? Butter is often paired with tea cakes, so incorporating our Calendula Edible Flower Dust into your spreading butter will add a whole new array of flavour to your tea cakes.

Citrus flavoured apple blossom edible flower (begonia) flowering in greenhouse Apple Blossom Edible Flowers

Number Nine: Iced Finger Buns

Now we’re talking, coming in at No. 9 is the simple but delicious Iced Finger Buns! Do you know what would really brighten up your iced buns … our sour but sweet APPLE BLOSSOM! This is an Edible Flower is bursting with flavour and can simply be placed atop of them. Apple Blossom holds high aromatic apple and citrus flavours and adds a naturally sweet flavour to whatever it is paired with.

Borage Micro Herbs Borage Micro Herbs

Number Ten: Cucumber Sandwiches

Finally ending with a bang, we have CUCUMBER SANDWICHES and Philadelphia perhaps? Our Borage Micro Cress has a very similar taste to cucumber, so using them alongside each other would be delightful!

Which afternoon tea delicacy is your favourite? We’d love to know!

A popular afternoon tea menu item is the spectacular and scrumptious…cupcake! As these are one of the tastiest foods out there, we have a recipe for you guys that is sure to go down a storm. These edible flower topped vanilla cupcakes come from Short & Sweet London, who always tag us in stunning floral bakes. Check out the recipe below, and don’t forget to tag Nurtured in Norfolk and Short & Sweet London in your creations on social media!

Ingredients for Cupcakes

  • Butter (Very Soft) (125g)
  • Caster Sugar (200g)
  • Eggs (3)
  • Salt (1/2 tsp)
  • Self Raising Flour (300g)
  • Lemon Juice (20ml)
  • Milk (140ml)
  • Vanilla Paste Or Essence

Ingredients for Buttercream

  • Butter (Soft) (250g)
  • Icing Sugar (500g)
  • Vanilla Paste Or Other Flavouring
cupcakes decorated with colourful edible flowers Vanilla Cupcakes Decorated with Edible Flowers

Method

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • Heat the oven to 160°C, fan/350°F, convection
  • Cream the very soft butter and sugar until almost white and fluffy
  • Add the eggs and salt and mix until fully incorporated
  • Next, add half the flour until just combined
  • Add the juice and milk and mix until combined, then add the remaining flour
  • Scoop into paper baking cup-lined cupcake tins
  • Bake for about 22-25 minutes
  • Remove from the tin and set on a wire rack to cool completely

*Note* Take the vanilla cupcakes out of the tin after 10-15 minutes of cooling

Buttercream

  • Mix the butter until soft
  • Slowly add the icing sugar until fully mixed
  • Pipe the buttercream onto your cupcakes and then decorate with your favourite Nurtured in Norfolk Edible Flowers

*Note* If the butter is too hard, add a teaspoon of boiling water until its a nice texture to pipe onto the cupcakes

Doesn’t that sound delectable? Adding this to your afternoon tea snacks will make everyone want to be round! If you’re feeling really decorative why not present them with a sprinkle of one our dusting powders? We have an array of different flavours to choose from and are all a super vibrant in colour and are sure to enhance any dish.

Our Pressed Edible Flowers can be used to decorate cakes, biscuits, cheesecakes and many more sweet treats. This makes our edible pressed flowers a great option to incorporate into your afternoon tea decorations.

Another one of our products that can take your presentation skills to the next level is our Pea Shoots. These are often a popular choice due to their eye-catching appearance and appetising taste. These could be used as a garish, or even included into things like sandwiches, tarts, and sausage rolls.

We love to see all of the bakes and ideas that you are creating at home! So be sure to tag us on Instagram or emails us at info@nurturedinnorfolk.co.uk so we can see what you guys have been getting up to!

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