In the process of creating a garden, it’s been a joy to be able to choose the plants that I’ve always loved. Lilacs are most certainly among them. What I’ve not realized for most of my life is that the flowers are edible–it’s like icing on the cake.
This gives good reason to get all experimental in using them to enhance certain recipes, and cupcakes are up to the task.
There’s not much to know about using lilacs in food, except that you want to use just the flowers since that’s the only edible part of the plant. You also want to know your source, ensuring no pesticides were used on the plants.
It’s easy to clean the flowers—swish them in cold water, shake them off, and allow them to air dry.
Lilac Cupcakes
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lilac blossoms, packed (+more for decorating, if desired)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2-¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup honey
Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
Whisk the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
Stir the honey into the buttermilk and keep stirring until blended.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with a stand or hand mixer. Add in the lilac blossoms and blend until distributed. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating until combined.
Add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, combining well after each addition. Divide the batter into the paper liners and bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes completely, then frost and decorate as desired.
