Peonies are one of my favorite flowers, but their blooming season is heartbreakingly quick. We now have a lovely row planted out front and I find myself sniffing the blooms like a weirdo that just can't get enough. I wanted to find a way to preserve them in some way and decided to create peony petal ice cube molds to look like a blooming flower. After that I started brainstorming other ways I could use the edible petals. A particularly fragrant variety I steeped into a simple syrup which gave it a nice floral flavor. A little of that, some gin, Elderflower liqueur, and a splash of lemon and the Peony Petal Gin Martini was born! It's like a boozy lemonade with a hint of floral... but of course calling it a martini makes it sound far fancier! This is a great cocktail to serve for a summer brunch, bridal shower, or just any occasion where you want to be a little extra and a little fancy! ... read more
