The Best Part of Spring? May Flowers (or Flours...)

Both bring brightness to your baking. [logo]( Sunday Recipe Inspiration with Kye Batch 442 [Loading...]( Seeing fresh flowers in bloom makes me feel like it has just rained sprinkles — there are colorful little bits of joy that suddenly appear everywhere. This week, we're taking our recipe inspiration from the flowers themselves. While I hope a fresh-cut bunch ends up somewhere in your kitchen, I hope flowers also end up in your baking. Yes, that's right: We're talking about flowers instead of flours for once. Take this [Rose and Cardamom Cake]( that just happens to be gluten-free, thanks to our [Measure for Measure Flour](. Cardamom is a spice that's inherently floral, making it a complementary pairing for the rose water in the cake. It's finished with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and crushed rose petals for extra flavor and texture. Roses can do so much more than just say "I didn't forget!" on Valentine's Day. They can bring elegance, complexity, and freshness to a variety of sweet treats. Vegan baker Dawn Konofaos recently shared her recipe for [Rose-Pistachio Cookies]( with us; they're complete with dried cherries, chunks of white chocolate, and [vanilla extract]( for a packed but balanced flavor profile. Dried rose petals star in the cookie dough and on top as a colorful garnish. Beyond roses, consider tea as an opportunity to embrace the flavor of flowers. (Some teas are simply the dried heads of flowers, like chamomile or hibiscus.) One of the best uses of flowers in baking I've ever tasted is the hibiscus syrup in Martin Philip's [Craquelin Cream Puffs](. The simple syrup infused with hibiscus petals adds a vibrant magenta swirl to the stark white, lime whipped cream for an eating experience that goes above and beyond most other cream puffs. There's also the [Bee Keeper's Pain de Mie](, a positively striking loaf when it comes to aesthetics, and one that can be equally striking in flavor. Our bakery in Vermont makes this loaf and adds an extra-special touch: they infuse the milk with lavender and chamomile before mixing it into the dough. These floral flavors alongside sweet honey and earthy wheat make this loaf unforgettable. Be sure to pick up a [Pain de Mie pan]( to be able to make this loaf's signature square edges. Not into the flavor of flowers? There's plenty of opportunities to incorporate them into your baking by using them as decoration. Take this [Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake]( (above); cookbook author and recipe developer Cheryl Day likes to decorate her cakes with a spray of edible flowers that makes the cakes cheerful and inviting (just like Cheryl herself). In this next week, take a moment to enjoy the sun on your face, the smell of freshly blossomed flowers, and of course, something sweet from your oven. Until next time, Kye Associate Recipe Editor Recipes We're Baking This Week ★★★★★ [Gluten-Free Rose and Cardamom Cake]( ★★★★★ [Rose-Pistachio Cookies with Cherries and White Chocolate]( ★★★★★ [Craquelin Cream Puffs]( ★★★★★ [Bee Keeper's Pain de Mie]( Baking Gluten-Free? From flourless to wheat-free, we have recipes to inspire you. Search for a classic or discover a new favorite. [Get GF Recipes ›]( Fresh From the Blog — Tips and Techniques — Things bakers know: To avoid a soggy bottom, bake your pies like pizza A hot baking steel or stone helps your bottom crust bake up nice and crispy. [Read More ›]( — Tips and Techniques — What a pro baker can teach us about making bread at home Andy King shares his best advice from 20 years in the professional kitchen. [Read More ›]( — Tips and Techniques — How to ensure perfectly proofed bread (almost) every time The bread proofer creates the ideal cozy environment for your dough. [Read More ›]( — Specialty Flours — Make your best even better [Shop flours]( — Storage Essentials — Keep your ingredients fresh [Shop storage]( [Shop ›]( [Recipes ›]( [Learn ›]( [Blog ›]( [Rewards ›]( Connect With Us [ftsocial_facebook]( [ftsocial_instagram]( [ftsocial_twitter]( customercare@kingarthurbaking.com Call toll-free: 800.827.6836 58 Billings Farm Road, White River Junction, VT 05001 Subscribe to King Arthur mobile alerts, text [JOIN]( to 27820. By subscribing to King Arthur text messaging, you consent to receive recurring autodialed marketing text messages to the mobile number used at opt-in. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Message frequency may vary. Message & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help or STOP to 27820 to opt out. See [Terms]( & [Privacy](. You are receiving this because you signed up for King Arthur emails. This email was sent to {EMAIL}. View this email as a [web page](. [Preferences]( [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy](