Fresh Violet Glaze (or Icing)
Author: Nancy Baggett
Long before we could gulp down vitamin pills to boost our nutrition, people collected wild and sweet violets each spring and consumed them in salads, tinctures, teas, confections, and confectionery garnishes. They considered the flowers and leaves healthful--and they definitely were! Scientists now know that violets are rich in in vitamins C and A, plus their bright natural color pigments contain valuable antioxidants called flavinoids. In case you missed the info above, African violets are not true Violas and cannot be eater or used in cooking.
Ingredients
  • ¾ to 1 cup fresh purple violet petals (all green parts discarded)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 to 1¾ cups powdered sugar, or more as needed for drizzling or spreading consistency
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • A few drops fresh lemon juice, as desired
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons commercial violet syrup, optional
Instructions
  1. Put the violet petals in a 1- or 2-cup microwave-safe glass measure. Stir in the water. Cover and microwave the cup for 1 minute on full power. Stir and then continue to microwave, stopping and stirring at 30-second intervals until the petals are limp and the water is bluish-green.
  2. Let cool. Then press as much violet liquid as possible through a fine sieve into a small bowl; discard the spent petals.
  3. Stir 1 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla into the liquid. Gradually add drops of lemon juice, stirring, continuing until the mixture smooth and turns a purple shade you like. If you want a sweet violet flavor, stir in the violet syrup, then add enough more powdered sugar to produce the consistency desored.
Recipe by KitchenLane at https://kitchenlane.com/2020/05/cooking-with-sweet-and-wild-woodland-violets.html