A Pansy Tea

In March

we plant pansies

in planters both front

and back

And pansies are not just a "pretty face" in the garden

but they're brought inside

And placed in my pansy vase 

which is the centerpiece

for my pansy tea

For the tea there are real pansies as centerpieces

And real pansies on the shortbread cookies

Sugared and edible!

And pansies (or violets -- a cousin)

on the tea ware

They were my mothers

who adored violets

And windowsills in her house held some of the many African violet plants

that bloomed and bloomed for my Mother.

So many started from a single leaf

which she cajoled off of a friend's plant

 Pansies, live

Pansies, planted

Pansies, cookied

I had two friends for tea

And we sipped Earl Grey Tea

(which I believe goes better with pansies!)

and nibbled on our pansy shortbread.

It was a fun afternoon

But any afternoon that involves both friends and tea

is a fun afternoon!

PANSY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 teaspoons meringue powder 

2 tablespoons water

Pesticide free Pansies or violas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pick flowers, rinse and pat dry. Put on paper towel to finish air drying.

Put flour and sugar in a large bowl. Mix together. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter and vanilla until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together.

 Gather up crumbs into a ball and kneed together until smooth.

 Roll out dough just scant of 1/4" thick. Cut with cookie cutter. I used a fluted  2 1/2"cookie cutter.

Put cookies 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the bottom and sides are just starting to slightly brown and center of top is firm.

Take out of oven and cool on baking sheet. 

Combine meringue powder and water in small bowl. When cookies are cooled brush egg white mixture on one cookie at a time and top with pansey. Use your fingers to press the pansy down in the middle and smooth out all petals so they are firmly stuck to the cookie. Put a thin layer of egg white mixture on top of the pansy and smooth. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Return to parchment lined baking sheet.

I found the recipe at Stone Gable and thought it was a great recipe for my pansy tea!

I'm joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday and Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday.