Sure, flowers are fun and traditional Valentine’s fare. However, I find that after the first day or so their novelty wears off and they just become one more thing for me to water and keep track of. Not to mention that it feels weird to send flowers to my husband…especially since he’s mostly allergic. To alleviate the mess that comes from a forgotten bouquet of flowers on my table, we’ve opted to go the “edible bouquet” route. Not only do they deliver the same impact, but edible bouquets are delicious for your belly and your eyes!
Gorgeous Edible Bouquets For Your Valentine
Easy Edible Bouquet Idea 01: Chocolate Strawberries
I’ll be honest, I have a deep and abiding love for anything chocolate. Add a little fruit to the mix and I am a goner! One of the easiest ways to create an edible bouquet is to make your own chocolate-dipped strawberries! They are easy-peasy to make and deliver a huge statement. All you need is:
- 12-18 large fresh strawberries
- Chocolate melts
- White Candy melts
- colorful sprinkles and sugar
- Wooden skewers
- Cellophane wrap
Process:
Start by washing and drying your strawberries and placing a skewer through the middle of the green stem. Then, using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate melts according to the package directions. When the chocolate is melted, dip half of the strawberries into the chocolate one-by-one, making sure to cover almost up to the green leaves. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Then, allow the chocolate to set by placing the skewers strawberry side up in a heavy-duty cup.
When the strawberries are set, melt the white chocolate according to package directions. Then, using either a spoon or placing the melted chocolate in a ziploc bag with a tiny corner cut off, drizzle white chocolate on top of the milk chocolate in a decorative pattern. You can artfully place sprinkles on top of the drizzles. You can also reverse the process and dip the other half of your strawberries in the white chocolate and drizzle with milk chocolate. The great part about this is that it’s not difficult and it’s extremely versatile.
Easy Edible Bouquet Idea 02: Fresh Fruit
If you or your valentine aren’t into chocolate, then don’t be afraid to just go for the fresh fruit! With some great fruit, a sharp paring knife, and a little practice, you can create an incredible edible arrangement.
Materials:
- Heavy-duty wooden skewers
- sharp pairing knife
- Fresh fruit: apples, oranges, pineapples, strawberries, cantaloupe, etc.
- Cellophane
Process:
To create a basic “flower”, begin by cutting the rind off of the pineapple and slicing it in 1/2-1″ slices. These form the “petals” of your flower. Once you have your slices, then you can cut some into smaller circles so that your sizes vary. To create the “petals”, cut triangles from the outside of the circle in a regular pattern. A larger pineapple flower might have 1 triangle every inch around the outside of the slice. A smaller pineapple flower might have a triangle every 1/2″. Then, place your skewer through the middle and top off with a grape! You can find some awesome tutorials around the web for cutting fruit and creating edible arrangements. One of my favorites is this one.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match your fruit and chocolate-covered strawberry bouquets! Some of the best arrangements have both.
Easy Edible Bouquet Idea 03: Meat for the Men
I’ll be honest, my husband is totally cliche when it comes to his love of meat. The guy would gladly eat nothing but beef jerky the rest of his life if I let him. Lucky for him, I don’t (can you say scurvy? ha ha). This is one occasion where I think it’s a great idea to indulge a little bit. So, if your significant other isn’t into fruit or chocolate, then maybe meat is more up their alley.
Materials:
- Wooden Skewers
- Cellophane bags
- Assorted jerkys, sausages, and meats
- Assorted cheeses
Process:
Talk about easy-peasy. All you do here is skewer the meat or cheese, place in a cellophane bag and use a twist-tie or ribbon to close around the skewer. Then it’s as simple as arranging a bouquet of real flowers! You can wrap the whole thing in cellophane or paper, tie it off with another ribbon and you’re done!
Easy Edible Bouquet Idea 04: DIY Meringue Flowers
I love meringues! They are like cotton candy made solid and crunchy. Plus, they are super easy to make and very versatile when it comes to look and flavor. This is one of my favorite edible bouquets. To make a meringue bouquet, here’s what you need:
- Wooden skewers
- Piping bag with tips
- 4 Egg whites
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp. extract of your choice: vanilla, peppermint, almond, etc.
- gel food coloring
- assorted sprinkles (if desired)
- candy melts
Process:
Start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and turning your oven to 225F. Then begin whipping those egg whites in your stand mixer until they start to foam and form bubbles. When this happens, it’s your cue to begin slowly adding in the sugar, followed by the cream of tartar, then the extract. Once all ingredients are added, continue to whip on high until stiff peaks form. You want to be able to pull the beater out and have the peaks remain regardless of which direction you hold them. You can add food coloring towards the end of the whipping if you want uniform flowers, or you can stripe your piping bag with the gel to create a more variegated color.
Transfer the meringue to the piping bag and pipe your flowers onto the parchment paper. You can garnish with sprinkles here if desired. Then bake for at least two hours before turning off the oven and allowing the meringues to sit in the oven with the door closed for at least another two hours. When they have had time to dry, remove from the oven and secure to the skewers using melted chocolate. Enjoy!
The moral of this story is that the next time you need to show your Valentine some love, ditch the flowers and go for something that’s tasty! These edible bouquets are sure to be a great treat for any significant other.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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