Candied Rose Petals & Why I don't care about Valentine's

It's my birthday on Valentine's Day.  So, why did I decide to run a secret supper that day and cook for three days straight for 16 guests?  Because, I don't really care about Valentine's Day or my birthday.  I'm going to Cuba in a week!

The menu is centered around  love and truffles.  White truffles, black truffles and chocolate truffles.  For the chocolate truffles I wanted to add a delicate crunch and some colour to the presentation.  I'm going to nestle each truffle in a rose petal.  One thing about candying flower petals is that they usually taste pretty green and slightly bitter.  I don't mind the bitter contrast, but I'm going to add a little orange zest to the egg white to bring some dimension to the flavour.  Here's the recipe..

Ingredients:
2 Roses - pick your colour
1/2 cup sugar (chose whatever grade you want, berry sugar is a nice fine grind)
1 egg white - beat with a whisk to break up
dash of vanilla or zest from an orange (add to egg white to flavour)

Instructions:

• Pick some roses from your garden or find a flower store that you trust to sell you food grade roses.  Or throw caution to the wind and buy a regular ole rose. 
• Spread a 1 mm thick coat of sugar onto parchment paper. 
• Use a pastry brush or clean small paint brush to spread egg white lightly on each rose petal.  Make sure all surfaces are coated.
• Put each petal on the sugar, then dust with more sugar to coat the top.
• Leave out on counter for 24 hours or until dry.

Place artfully on a cake or use to cup a chocolate truffle to give to your lover.