Elderflower Pearls

  Elderflower Pearls

These floral pearls provide the perfect “pop” in bubbly holiday toasts! Combined with agar agar powder (a vegan gelling agent available at health-food stores or grocery stores like Whole Foods), delicate-tasting elderflower liqueur turns into sweet caviar-style jewels. Try topping holiday desserts or ice cream with the pearls, too!  Makes 1 cup.

Ingredients:
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) elderflower liqueur 
1 tsp (5 mL) agar agar powder

Directions:
Put oil in a 2-cup (500-mL) freezer-safe measuring cup and freeze for approximately 30 minutes, until oil is cold but doesn’t solidify.

Combine liqueur and agar agar powder in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and check temperature using a candy thermometer. Cool until it’s between 130°F and 120°F (54°C to 48°C).

Remove cooled oil from freezer and, working quickly using a syringe or dropper, dribble equal-sized droplets of liqueur mixture into oil, until all liqueur mixture forms pearls.

Once pearls have settled to the bottom of the oil, use a fine mesh sieve to strain the pearls gently from the oil. Gently run cold water over the pearls to remove remaining oil. Store pearls in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Gifting Tip: Try packaging the elderflower pearls in a Weck jar or other airtight glass container, wrapped with a pretty ribbon that matches the label colors on the bottle of bubbly. Orange juice “pearls” would be another great option to make and to gift with sparkling wine, for unique mimosas that will be the star of any holiday brunch. 

Add instructions to spoon 1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) of pearls into a glass of sparkling wine, to make any seasonal toast lovelier. Makes 1 cup. 

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