It’s so nice to hand the blog over to guest writers once in a while, so today we are joined by Rachael who runs The Edible Flower Shop to teach us how we can decorate cheeses with edible flowers and petals to make a unique addition to your wedding feast.

Cheese wedding cakes are increasingly popular so why not make them even more beautiful with edible flowers. I particularly love these soft goat’s cheeses above that have been decorated with edible calendula and cornflower petals – such a riot of beautiful colours! I so want to try this out this summer.

Over to Rachael…

Wedding cheeses are becoming ever more popular and are often the centrepiece at a wedding breakfast. To personalise your wedding cheese and add stunning colour and beauty, why not have a go at decorating them with your own home grown edible flowers?

Using edible flowers is a wonderful way to incorporate any colour theme from your wedding in to your food, and adds a really personal touch to your wedding breakfast. Not only that, but if you grow edible flowers for your wedding you can also use them for table decorations, button holes and to decorate cakes. The possibilities really are endless…

Base of Brie decorated with violas and goat’s cheese on top decorated with dianthus

Edible flowers can be used to decorate either hard or soft cheeses but the methods used are quite different. Popular edible flowers for decorating cheeses are nasturtiums (flowers and leaves), chive flowers, calendula, violas, pansies, dianthus, borage, primulas, rocket, mustard, radish, sunflowers and cornflower petals to name but a few.

Viola ‘Sorbet Raspberry’

It is well worth experimenting with a variety of edible flowers to see which ones give you the effect you desire.  The best flowers are those which will lie flat on the cheese.

Decorating hard or formed cheeses cheeses with edible flowers

Select any of your favourite hard cheeses, or those which hold their shape. This method works well with many types of cheese, including Cheddar, whole Brie or Camembert, but the best results are often gained from decorating white cheeses which show off the beautiful flowers at their best.

Apply a layer of glaze over the flowers and leave to set

If the cheese has an edible rind it can be kept on, otherwise it should be removed before decorating.  The edible flowers need to be stuck to the cheese and sealed using a glaze. This can be made using either gelatine or a vegetarian alternative, such as agar agar.

Follow individual instructions to make up the glaze, making up to a runny glue consistency which can be applied with a brush. If in doubt, try a test on a small piece of cheese beforehand to check that it will set sufficiently.

Nasturtium ‘Peach Melba’

Leave your cheese whole or cut in to slices if desired. Prepare your edible flowers by ensuring they are clean and dry and that they will lie flat (this may require trimming the back of the flower, or removing individual petals).

Mixed cheeses decorated with edible flowers and petals

Using a small brush, lightly apply some liquid glaze over the cheese. Leave for a few moments until it becomes tacky and then carefully place on your flowers, ensuring that they are lying flat. Once they are firmly stuck, apply a second coat of glaze over the cheese and the flower. You can build up several layers of glaze and flowers if you wish. Leave in the fridge to set between each layer (around 15 minutes).

Cover the cheeses with a large upturned bowl until ready to use.

Brie with edible violas

Decorating soft cheeses with edible flowers

This method is suitable for soft cheeses which will hold their shape such as cream cheese or a soft goat’s cheese.

Line a small bowl with clingfilm. Line the inside of the bowl with edible petals and flowers. (Using a clear glass bowl will allow you to see the flowers as you build up your design).

Cornflowers ‘Ball Mixed’ – they also make fantastic cut flowers

Carefully fill the bowl with your soft cheese, cover with a plate and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, upturn the bowl on to a plate and gently remove the bowl and the clingfilm from the cheese. You will be left with a shaped cheese, decorated on the outside with edible flowers and petals. Serve with bread made with herb flowers.

Goat’s cheese with calendula and cornflower petals

If you have a bit more time, try making individually decorated cheeses by following the above instructions but using small ramekins, cake moulds or even ice-cube trays lined with cling film for really beautifully presented single portions.

Simple to do, beautiful to eat….

Calendula ‘Fiesta Gitana’

To grow your own edible flowers for your wedding and for more ideas on how use your edible flowers visit us at The Edible Flower Shop. For more examples of cheeses with edible flowers see our Pinterest board.

In these examples we have used cheeses kindly supplied by The Cheese Shed, Devon.  They have a huge selection of Westcountry artisan cheeses which can be sent out to you ready for your special day.

The Edible Flower Shop is a recommended supplier of The Natural Wedding Company. Based in Devon, they have a wide selection of flower seeds for you to grow your own edible wedding flowers. Every packet of seeds comes with an eight page booklet giving detailed growing instructions as well as recipes and creative ideas on how to use your edible flowers. Visit www.theedibleflowershop.co.uk for more details or contact Rachael at info@theedibleflowershop.co.uk.