Delicious elderflower recipes!

Elderflower season has just started, so here are some delicious drinks and desserts you must try.

Elderflower syrup

Ingredients

• about 30 elderflowers
• 3 medium lemons
• 6 l water
• 4 kg sugar
• 7 dkg citric acid
• 7.5 g sodium benzoate

Boil 5 litres of water with 3.5 kg of sugar. Caramelise the other half a kg of sugar, and when done, carefully add a litre of water, then boil until the sugar melts into the water. Mix the two syrups together and bring it to a boil.

Remove the elderflowers from the stem. Slice the lemons and put them in a bowl together with the citric acid and the sodium benzoate. Pour the sugary syrup over them. It is best to leave it for 3-5 days and stir it occasionally.

Pour the liquid into bottles through a filter, and you have your very own elderflower syrup.

Elderflower lemonade

Ingredients

• 10 elderflowers
• 2 lemons
• the juice of 2 lemons
• 5 l water
• 35 dkg sugar

Remove the flowers from the stem and place them in a bowl. Pour 5 litres of cold water over it, add the sugar, and two – carefully washed – sliced lemons. Stir it thoroughly then place it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Stir occasionally.

Filter it after two days, squeeze the juice of the lemon slices, and add the juice of another two lemons, and there you have it – a delicious and refreshing lemonade with a little extra something.

Store it in old water bottles in the fridge.

Elderflower doughnuts

Ingredients

• 3 dl milk
• 3 dkg yeast
• 50 dkg flour
• 5 dkg butter
• 5 tsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 dl sunflower oil
• a sprinkle of salt
• elderflower to taste – some like it with more, some with less

Activate the yeast with warm water or milk. Mix the ingredients together, then knead the flowers into it. Let it rise to twice its size.

Once it has risen, roll it out until it is about 1.5 cm thick, then use a medium doughnut/cookie cutter or a shot glass to cut the dough into circles.

Fry both sides in hot oil until they are a golden brown colour.

Bonus tip

You can also add a few elderflowers to your waffle, pancake, or vanilla or lemon cupcake batters to make them a bit more interesting.

Elderflower-mint sorbet

Ingredients

• 10 elderflowers
• 1 l water
• 25 dkg sugar
• 2 lemons
• 2 handfuls of fresh mint

Carefully wash the elderflowers and the handful of mint leaves, and put them on paper towels to dry. Wash the lemons as well and slice them up.

Pour the water and the sugar into a bowl, bring to a boil, and wait for the sugar to completely melt. After it has melted, boil for another 10 minutes or until it has a thin syrup-like consistency.

Take it off the stove and add the lemon slices. Let it cool for about 15 minutes. Put the elderflowers and mint into mason jars, then pour the syrup with the lemon slices over it. Cover it and leave for 1-2 days.

After a couple of days, filter it and put it in the fridge – if you have an ice cream machine – or the freezer – if you do not – for at least half a day.

Before making the sorbet, finely chop up another handful of mint leaves. Add the chopped mint leaves and the frozen syrup to a blender or the cooled down syrup to an ice cream machine if you have one and blend until it reaches a crushed ice consistency.

Put it into a container and put it in the freezer. For a lighter consistency, stir it with a fork a few times an hour.

• Check out these easy and quick Hungarian recipes.
• Try out these traditional Hungarian snacks.

Source: Daily News Hungary