Blossoms encased in a sheer, sparkling coat of sugar make an elegant decoration for cakes or almost any other kind of dessert. Not just any flowers can be used, however: Some species are toxic (among others, delphinium, foxglove, and lily-of-the-valley should be avoided); to be doubly sure, consult a current botanical reference book. Stay away from sprayed or treated flowers. Farmers’ markets are a good source for edible flowers, but ask the farmer if they are organic and untreated. Of course, the best source is your own garden, where you can be sure that they’re untreated and can pick them at their optimum point, just as they blossom. Whatever their source, make sure the flowers are clean and dry. This technique also works to frost mint leaves with a sparkly sugar coating.

Place in a small bowl:

Stir in just enough water to form a thin paste (do not beat the white, as froth is undesirable).

Spread on a small plate:

Hold the flower (or petal or leaf) to be candied with tweezers and using a small watercolor brush, lightly coat the entire surface with the egg white. Hold the flower over the plate of sugar and gently spoon sugar over it, allowing the excess to fall back onto the plate. It is imperative that you cover every surface with egg white and sugar, for exposed surfaces will decompose—if you missed a spot, simply touch it up with the brush and a little more sugar. Gently tap the tweezers on the side of the plate to knock off excess sugar.

Set the flower, petal, or leaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner and continue with the remaining flowers. When you have finished, check the candied blossoms for any spots that may need touching up.

Set the baking sheet in a warm, dry place to dry for several days, turning the flowers, petals, or leaves once a day to ensure that they dry evenly (this is especially important with whole flowers, for their weight can prevent moisture from evaporating from the bottom). When the flowers are very dry, they will be crisp.

Store them between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot. If dried and stored properly, these will keep for 3 to 6 months or more.