For those of you wondering how a June-baby like me holds onto summer in these chilly winter months, one small comfort is the Honeysuckle Syrup I made while they were still in bloom!
This week's recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks of all time: The Flower Cookbook by Adrienne Crowhurst!
I found this dreamy book by chance while visiting one of my favorite places on earth--Thomas, West Virginia. It's chock full of incredible recipes and I hope to someday try them all!
Honeysuckle is a flower often used in spells of money, psychic power, and protection. It's ruled by the element of Earth and the planet Jupiter. If it grows near your home, it will bring good luck.
Honeysuckle Syrup:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups Honeysuckle flowers, stamens
- boiling water
- 4 cups sugar
Directions:
Remove any green parts from the Honeysuckle flowers and wash very lightly. Remember these are delicate flowers!
Place the flowers in a sterilized canning jar and cover with boiling water. Cool, cover, and let sit for two days
Once they've sat for two days, strain the concoction, squeezing out as much liquid as possible from the flowers before discarding them.
Then pour the strained liquid into a saucepan. Add the 4 cups of sugar gradually, stirring as you go. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer--still stirring--until the syrup forms (about 10 minutes).
Pour the syrup into sterilized canning jars and let sit for 10 days before using.
Once you have the syrup made, just get your go-to pudding recipe and replace with vanilla extract with the Honeysuckle syrup. Taste as you go to make sure the flavor is coming through. You can add more for a stronger flavor, but know it might make the pudding a bit runnier!
As a special touch, I served mine in my favorite meringue nests! They're just the perfect conveyer for any delicious pudding or custard! And they make it look so pretty--especially topped with some flowers as a garnish!
