Dried hibiscus can be used to create alluring desserts.
You can make hibiscus cupcakes, lemon bars, ice cream, tarts, donuts, and cookies that have hibiscus floral undertones.
Hibiscus desserts go well for a bridal shower, baby shower, or summer party.
Hibiscus Cupcakes
Hibiscus cupcakes are floral cupcakes with a hint of lemon flavoring.
Hibiscus is ground with a mortar and pestle into a fine powder, and then added to a saucepan with butter. Butter is heated with hibiscus for it release it’s floral flavoring.
When the butter has cooled, it’s used as the base of vanilla cupcake batter. Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to vanilla cupcake batter for a citrus addition for the floral cupcakes.
White chocolate buttercream infused with hibiscus tea is frosted on top of the cupcakes.
Hibiscus is steeped into boiling water, and let to cool to room temperature.
Butter is whipped until fluffy, and melted white chocolate is streamed into the butter for the sweet chocolate flavor.
Freeze dried strawberries, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and hibiscus tea are added and mixed together to create this floral and fruity frosting.
Hibiscus Lemon Bars
Hibiscus lemon bars are made by making a buttery shortbread crust for the bottom of the bars.
The filling is made by infusing hibiscus flowers into lemon juice, and letting it sit for about 15 minutes to infuse the flavor. The lemon juice will begin to turn a vibrant pink color.
Eggs, sugar, infused lemon juice, and flour are mixed together and poured over the freshly baked shortbread crust.
Hibiscus lemon bars are baked in the oven for about 25 minutes, until filling is set.
Let the bars cool to room temperature, dust with powdered sugar, and cut into bite sized pieces.
Hibiscus Shortbread Cookies
Hibiscus shortbread cookies are buttery cookies that have floral undertones.
Hibiscus shortbread is made by adding cinnamon and chopped up dried hibiscus to shortbread cookie dough.
Shortbread cookies are glazed with hibiscus glaze. The glaze is made by steeping dried hibiscus, and then infusing it with powdered sugar.
The glaze is bright pink, perfect for summer shower party!
Strawberry Hibiscus Tarts
Strawberry hibiscus tarts are made by making a pistachio tart crust.
The filling is made by pouring hot water over hibiscus flowers and letting it steep for about 10 minutes.
Strawberries are cooked in a saucepan, and then blended together with coconut cream and sugar.
The strawberry mixture is cooked again until it simmers.
Cornstarch is mixed with the cooled hibiscus tea, and then is mixed into simmering strawberries. The mixture is whisked to prevent any lumps from forming, and when it starts to thicken, it’s removed from the heat souce.
Strawberry hibiscus filing is cooled, and then poured into freshly baked pistachio tarts.
Let the tarts chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, and decorate with sliced strawberries right before serving.
Hibiscus Marshmallows
Hibiscus marshmallows are made by cooking together hibiscus infused tea, sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
A candy thermometer is used to accurately measure the temperature in order to make the marshmallows (240 degrees F).
Gelatin and a bit more hibiscus infused tea are placed in a stand mixer. The hibiscus lemon sugar syrup is streamed down the side of the stand mixer and whipped together make the mixture thicken up.
Assemble a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, and spray with a bit of oil.
Mix together powdered sugar and corn syrup. Pour the sugary mixture all over the bottom of the pan.
Add the marshmallow from the stand mixer.
Cover with remaining powdered sugar and corn syrup mixture.
Let stand for 4 hours, and then cut into 1″ squares for a light hibiscus dessert to enjoy after dinner.
Vegan Hibiscus Ice Cream
Vegan hibiscus ice cream is made by cooking together coconut cream and hibiscus flowers to infuse it’s floral flavor.
In another saucepan, additional coconut cream is cooked with milk, sugar, tapioca starch, and vanilla extract.
Combine both of the coconut creams together, and add a little hibiscus syrup.
Chill for 4 hours, and then churn in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes.
Freeze overnight, and enjoy!
Hibiscus Donuts
Hibiscus donuts are filled with hibiscus pastry cream!
Hibiscus donut dough is made by combining yeast with sugar and milk until the yeast begins to froth up a bit.
Flour salt, an egg, vanilla extract, melted butter, and yeast mixture is mixed together in a stand mixture for about 10 minutes until the dough is stretchy and sticky.
The dough is let to rest for an hour and half.
Hibiscus pastry cream is made by adding dried hibiscus, milk, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a saucepan until milk begins to simmer.
In another heat proof bowl, egg yolks, sugar, and flour is whisked together.
Temper the eggs by slowly adding the warmed milk mixture to the eggs and whisking vigorously until all of the milk is mixed in.
Add the tempered egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan and cook until the custard thickens up. It should be a pudding consistency.
Strain the mixture, and cover it in plastic wrap.
Let it cool, and refrigerate until the custard is chilled (2-4 hours).
After the donuts have been let to rest for an hour and half, the dough is rolled out, and cut with a 3″ pastry cutter. The donuts are let to rest for another hour.
Donuts are fried in oil for a couple of minutes, and then rolled in a mixture of hibiscus flowers and sugar.
Fill the donuts with hibiscus pastry cream using a piping bag fitted with a half inch piping tip and enjoy!!
