Elderflowers: Q&A With Heather Arndt-Anderson

S.nigra or “Black Beauty” elderflowers. Photo courtesy of Heather Arndt-Anderson

One day last spring we opened an email that put that faraway look into Sandro’s eyes - the look of creative excitement brewing. That email was from local author and Sunset Magazine Garden Editor Heather Arndt-Anderson offering elderflowers from her backyard bushes. What we ended up with was not only Fioritura (an elderflower strawberry sorbetto) but also a deeper connection with a friend, and an annual Pinolo partner.

Such is the magic of both plants and food to build relationships and deepen our understanding of the world around us. This is something Heather understands at her core having penned several books on the history and cultural connection of food, including Berries: A Global History, Chillies: A Global History, Portland: A Food Biography and Breakfast: A History, and which is also the ethos of her recipe-centric blog Voodoo & Sauce.

So this year, when Heather sent a photo of her blossoming elderflower bushes we seized the opportunity to tap into her knowledge and passion for this ingredient. Here’s what we learned…

Do you have a memory about the first time you discovered or used elderflowers?

HAA: I’d always known that elderberries were useful as medicine, and I have many fond childhood memories of eating at the Elderberry Inn on the way to the coast with my grandma. The first time I heard of using elderflowers, though, was from IKEA — they sell bottles of DRYCK FLÄDER elderflower drink concentrate, and that’s when I learned about how popular the blossoms are all over Europe. I’ve always studied plants and herbs, and always loved making potions, so I started making my own St-Germain shortly after that, about ten years ago.

You're a true homesteader, what's your favorite way to use elderflowers at home?

HAA: My favorite way to use elderflowers now is in syrup, which can then be turned to jelly or added to cakes and icings. I would love to figure out how to get their fragrance into other stuff too, though. Maybe a homemade soap? 

How about an unexpected use for them?

HAA: I’ve started experimenting with making candy with them — Swedes love gummy candy, so I’m starting there, and then I’ll try other Northern and Eastern European confections. 

Any other tips for growing or using elderflowers?

HAA: They’re super easy to grow —Northwest has a few native elder species — and can handle a wide range of growing conditions. I have one growing in full sunlight next to my driveway and another in partial shade behind my house. They can even tolerate crappy soil. Once you buy (or find) an elder bush, you can grow them from cuttings. Just snip off a branch in the fall and keep it in a bucket of water over the winter. In the spring it’ll have roots and you can plant the new baby shrub in the ground. 

A Note From Pinolo: This year Heather’s elderflowers are featured in our Aroma di Primavera sorbetto, made with tangerine and elderflower.

European Elder variety

Elderflower Syrup

Elderflower syrup is versatile both in the kitchen and at the bar. From adding flavor to sparkling water, blending into a cocktail or even adding to cake frosting, it’s an easy recipe for harnessing the sweet floral essence of spring’s bounty.

For this recipe we suggest using the purple elderflower variety if possible. The purple flowers have a more intense smell and flavor than the white variety, which is more grassy.

Quick Tips: It’s important to collect the flowers in an area without pollution because it’s best to use the flowers without washing them. It’s also important that you collect flowers completely opened and before they start turning brown.

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 Lemons

500 g  (2 ½ cups) Sugar

500 g  (2 ½ cups) Water

5 big heads Elderflower (if you like a more intense flavor, just use more flowers)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 380 F.

Combine the water and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, it doesn’t need to boil.

Let the syrup sit for 10 min and in the meanwhile check if any insects are hiding in your elderflowers - they love them as much as we do!

Do not wash the flowers. Washing removes a lot of the aroma and flavor.

 If you’re using the purple elderflowers, add the 5 large flower heads to the warm syrup (stems, flowers and all).

If you’re using the white variety, then nearly double the flower heads (8 heads) and use only the flowers removing as many stems as you can. The green stems of the white flowers have a grassy smell that can give a bitter taste to the syrup.

Add the lemon juice, stir the syrup and be sure that all flowers are completely submerged, then cover the saucepan with a lid and let flowers infuse overnight.

In the morning strain the syrup through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth.

You can bottle the syrup and keep it for several months. I prefer to keep it in my freezer to better preserve the flavor but it will be fine if you refrigerate instead. You can also boil in lidded canning jars for five minutes,  then keep them in your cupboard and store in your fridge once opened. 

Bravo!

how to use the syrup:

During the summer, a fast and delicious use is to add ½ cup of elderflower syrup to a quart of water or sparkling water. It’s much healthier and better tasting than plain soda!

For a cocktail use, try it in your mimosa!

And for a cooking application, drizzle some on a homemade cake when it’s still warm or on pancakes.

Lingue di Gatto

Possibly the cutest name for a cookie ever, lingue di gatto translates to “cat’s tongue” and earned its name because of the cookie’s shape. In Italy, it is typically eaten on the side with some gelato, custard, or simply with some tea. Not only do kids love the name, but it’s a perfect recipe to get them involved in the kitchen as well. Have fun!

Ingredients:

• 120 g Flour

• 80 g Sugar

• 3 Eggs White

• 100 g Butter (at room temperature)

• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 380 F.

Mix the sugar, salt, and butter together.

Sift a spoon of flour and some egg white into the bowl and mix until the flour gets completely absorbed.

Repeat the process until you have used all the flour and egg white.

Butter a baking pan then sprinkle with flour to prevent the cookies from sticking to the tray.

Using a pastry bag with a ½ inch wide mouth make 3 inch long cookies an inch apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

When the edges of the cookies start changing color to a light brown remove them from the oven.

Let them cool down &

Buon Appetito!

Savoiardi - "Ladyfingers"

In Italy, a homemade tiramisu means homemade savoiardi (ladyfingers) as well. The name savoiardi is not a direct translation of “Lady Fingers” but is actually named after Italy’s first king Savoia. It can be traced to the 15th century when it was made for a visit by the King of France, and is now recognized as an official court biscuit. Here is a standard recipe that families in Italy have been baking for hundreds of years. Perfect for tiramisu but great dipped in Nutella as well.

Ingredients:

• 150 g Flour

• 125 g Sugar

• 6 Eggs

• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

In two different bowls separate the egg whites from the yolk.

Add the sugar and the salt to the yolks and whisk all together until you get a foamy and creamy batter.

It will be ready when the original volume of the yolks and sugar double.

Whip the egg whites and gently fold them into the yolk mix.

Do not over mix or it will begin to flatten. 

Cover a sheet pan with some parchment paper.

Using a pastry bag, make 3” long sticks with the batter.

Keep a 1” apart between the sticks.

Cook them in an oven at 390˚F for 8 minutes.

Separate the cookies from the parchment paper, turn off oven and leave door open, then put the cookies back into the oven until they cool down.

Buon Appetito!

Cantuccini

Cantuccini are the original biscotti. This small crunchy cookie is now ubiquitous at coffeeshops around the world but originated in Tuscany and derived its name from the word “cantuccio,” an Old World word that in this case refers to a baked dough with a crunchy consistency.

A simple and satisfying recipe, it’s no wonder Italians still make and serve cantuccini as an afternoon snack - or “merenda” - for the family. In fact Sandro made this batch to sprinkle into our special flavor, Merenda, which is a gelato we make using Caffé Umbria espresso that’s sprinkled with small chunks of hazelnut cantuccini, then blended through.

The traditional nuts used in cantuccini depend on the region, so feel free to improvise this recipe with whatever nuts you have around.

IngredientS:

• 280 g Flour

• 150 g Sugar

• 130 g Whole Hazelnuts

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Lemon Zest

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 Pinch of Salt

InstructionS:

Preheat the oven to 360 F. 

In a bowl mix together the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and salt. 

Sift the flour and the baking powder into the bowl and mix until you have a crumbly consistency.

Add the hazelnuts and keep mixing until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough into two balls. 

Lightly flour a surface and with your hands roll the dough into two logs about 2 inches wide.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the dough logs on the sheet pan.

Bake for 25 minutes until the top starts turning a golden color.

Remove the logs from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, and on a cutting board cut the logs diagonally in ½ inch slices.

Once the cookies are cut place them back on the sheet pan and cook the cantuccini again for an additional 10 min. 

Remove them from the oven, let them completely cool down and enjoy!

Buon Appetito!