Fried elderflowers with cinnamon and sugar

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 10 elderflower heads
• 200 g flour
• 250 ml milk
• 2 tbsp rum
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp sugar
• Fat, for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 15 minutes

Place elderflower heads in a bowl of water, gently tossing to remove any dust. Spread them out on a cloth to dry. If the flowers are still wet, they won’t absorb the batter later. Whisk together the flour, milk, rum, salt, honey, and egg to form a runny batter. Let stand for 30 minutes to swell. Heat the fat in a deep fryer or shallow pan to 180 degrees Celsius. It’s hot enough when small bubbles rise from the handle of a wooden spoon dipped in the water. If necessary, test the temperature with a few drops of batter. Dip the elderflower heads into the batter and fry one by one in the hot fat until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Mix the cinnamon and sugar and serve the flowers sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar. Elderflowers can be found in gardens, parks, and on field edges from mid-May to June, depending on the weather. It’s best not to collect them on roadsides, as there are too many exhaust fumes in the air there. Cut off the flowers with scissors, leaving a piece of stem attached to the flower. This will make it easier to dip them in the batter later.