EDIBLE FLOWER CREPES RECIPE
Violas are one of the first little beautiful flowers to bloom in the springtime. Their flavour is mild and subtle, and they make an excellent addition to desserts and salads, since they are not only adorable but also edible. The vibrant colours of their little blooms make a simple dish so special and almost too pretty to eat.
Make these beautiful and delicious crepes and fill them with a creamy and easy to whip up mascarpone filling and drizzle them with some delicious homemade blueberry sauce which pairs perfectly with the bright colours of the graceful little viola blooms. The mascarpone filling is indulgent and creamy, but not too sweet and the blueberry sauce is warm with a hint of lemons.
These whimsical crepes are perfect for a fancy weekend breakfast, a Mother’s Day brunch or as a delightful dessert in the springtime. To save some time in the morning, you can easily make the crepe batter the night before and bake them right before serving. For more delicious breakfast and brunch ideas, make sure to also check out my CHOCOLATE COVERED WAFFLE POPS and my MAPLE PEANUT GRANOLA RECIPE.
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT EDIBLE FLOWER CREPES
Source your food grade edible flowers organically if possible and make sure they’re free from pesticides and chemicals. Ideally grown in your own garden or from a farmer’s market, selected grocery store or specialty online vendor.
Use a kitchen scale if you can, to weigh your ingredients rather than measuring them in cups. This will ensure accurate ingredients and will result in a great dessert.
If you want to get a head start on your breakfast, you can prepare your crepe batter and the blueberry sauce the night before, keep it covered in the fridge, and bake them in the morning. Just make sure to give it a nice stir before you start frying your crepes and reheat the blueberry sauce.
For the mascarpone cream filling have your cream and mascarpone really cold to prevent it from splitting and sift the icing sugar through a fine mesh strainer to prevent lumps of sugar in your cream.
Try to buy a high-quality mascarpone cheese. I find the cheaper ones tend to have a slightly grainy texture and don’t taste the same.
INGREDIENTS
Violas - make sure to source food-grade edible flowers for this recipe.
Milk - use whole milk or substitute with oat milk for the crepe batter.
Flour - all-purpose flour works best for this recipe or substitute with white spelt flour.
Butter - use unsalted butter and avoid using salted butter.
Vanilla extract - I prefer using pure vanilla extract or paste over imitation vanilla.
Cream - make sure to use whipping cream with at least 35% fat content.
Mascarpone - use a high-quality mascarpone for best taste and creaminess.
Blueberries - you can either use fresh or frozen blueberries to make the blueberry sauce.
The full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
bowl and whisk
hand blender
small saucepan
fine mesh strainer
8-inch pan
stand or hand mixer with whisk attachment
INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP
To prepare the crepe-mix, combine milk, water, all-purpose flour, eggs, melted butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk until smooth. If you use a blender I recommend blending it for 30 seconds. Cover the crepe mixture and chill for 1-3 hours to up to one day in the fridge.
Wash and dry Violas carefully by patting them slightly on a dishtowel or in a salad spinner. Make sure to remove all stems and set aside.
To make the blueberry sauce, combine frozen or fresh blueberries with 1-2 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3-5 min. Stir occasionally and blend with a hand blender. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (optional), making sure to scrape off the outside of the sieve. Keep your blueberry sauce warm until serving.
To prepare the mascarpone cream, drain your chilled mascarpone if there’s any liquid on top and stir together with the Vanilla extract, add sifted icing sugar and cold whipping cream into the clean and cold bowl of your stand or hand mixer. Whip until medium-firm peaks form. Make sure not to over whip your mascarpone cream to prevent it from splitting.
To make the viola crepes, heat an 8 Inch pan over medium heat and brush it with a little butter or coconut oil. Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl it around until it is spread thinly. The thinner you make the crepes the better they will taste! Place violas blooms face up onto the crepe right away before the batter is set. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and start all over again, until you used up all the batter.
Fill the crepes with 3-4 tablespoons mascarpone creme each by laying them down on the flower side and either folding them or rolling them up, and drizzle with blueberry sauce. Serve right away and enjoy your whimsical viola crepes!
EDIBLE FLOWER CREPES RECIPE
by Julia
Make these whimsical and delicious Viola crepes, fill them with a creamy, easy to whip up mascarpone filling, and drizzle them with some homemade blueberry sauce. They are perfect for a fancy weekend breakfast, a Mother’s Day brunch or as a delightful dessert in the spring.
PREP : 30 minutes CHILL : 60 minutes COOK : 20 minutes
YIELD : 8-12 crepes
INGREDIENTS
for the crepes:
30-50 violas/ edible flowers
200ml milk
100ml water
125g all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
45g unsalted butter, melted
1tbsp sugar (optional)
1pinch salt
1-2 tbsp butter or coconut oil to fry
for the mascarpone cream:
250ml heavy whipping cream (35%)
250g mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
50g icing sugar
for the blueberry sauce:
200g frozen blueberries
1-2tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the crepe-mix, combine milk, water, all-purpose flour, eggs, melted butter, sugar, salt and Vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk until smooth. If you have a blender I would recommend blending it for 30 seconds. Cover the crepe mixture and chill for 1-3 hours to up to one day in the fridge.
Wash and dry Violas carefully by patting them slightly on a dishtowel or in a salad spinner. Make sure to remove all stems and set aside.
To make the blueberry sauce, combine frozen or fresh blueberries with 1-2 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3-5 min. Stir occasionally and blend with a hand blender. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (optional), making sure to scrape off the outside of the sieve. Keep your blueberry sauce warm on the stove.
To prepare the mascarpone cream, drain your chilled mascarpone if there’s any liquid on top and stir together with the Vanilla extract, add sifted icing sugar and cold whipping cream into the clean and cold bowl of your stand or hand mixer. Whip until medium-firm peaks form. Make sure not to over whip your mascarpone cream to prevent it from splitting.
To make the viola crepes, heat an 8 Inch pan over medium heat and brush it with a little butter or coconut oil. Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl it around until it is spread thinly. The thinner you make the crepes the better they will taste! Place violas blooms face up onto the crepe right away before the batter is set. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and start all over again, until you used up all the batter.
Fill the crepes with 3-4 tablespoons mascarpone creme each by laying them down on the flower side and either folding them or rolling them up, and drizzle with blueberry sauce. Serve right away and enjoy your whimsical viola crepes!