Loria says: “It’s hard not to completely fall in love with this recipe, which turns bread into a fantastical garden of vegetables and herbs and makes your house smell like the loveliest thing ever. This is a softer, fluffier version of traditional Italian focaccia bread, decorated with vegetables, olives, and herbs to look like a colourful garden. It’s best to choose vegetables that aren’t too high in water content, or if you do, make sure those vegetables are placed on the outer edges of the pan. I recommend dipping your herbs and botanicals in cold water before decorating the bread, so they won’t burn in the hot oven. Tap into your inner landscape artist, become inspired by whatever you have in the refrigerator drawer or garden, and create an edible masterpiece limited only by your imagination. Serve alongside a refreshing salad, like Kale Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons or Aura Soup!”

Makes 12-18 pieces

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• 1⅓ cups (400g) lukewarm water 
• 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
• One 2¼-teaspoon packet active dry yeast
• 4 cups (650g) all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup (108g) olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
• Colourful vegetables, such as a handful of cherry tomatoes, several red and yellow bell peppers, a red onion, a handful of olives, stem vegetables like asparagus and spring onions, and herbs like parsley or rosemary (about 3 cups)
• Pinch of flaky salt

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, lightly mix together the water and honey. Sprinkle the yeast on top and give a quick stir to mix it in. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast is activated and foamy.

Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the flour, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the kosher salt. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing the dough for 5 minutes, until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball. Grease the bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then return the dough ball to the bowl and cover it with a towel. Place in a warm location and let rise for 45 minutes, until nearly doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, prep your vegetables. Use a knife or cookie cutters to make your shapes; they should be in varied sizes but uniformly thin so they lie flat on the focaccia.

Preheat the oven to 205ºC/400°F. Grease a rimmed sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Punch the dough down, then place it on the prepared sheet pan and press it down and out with your palms and fingertips, so it covers the whole pan at about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Now it’s time to decorate your blank focaccia, imagining your favourite garden. Remember that, while baking, the dough grows and veggies shrink, so for the brightest and best results, cover the dough completely with various vegetable flowers. Sprinkle with the flakey salt.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the dough is slightly golden and cooked through.

Like most baked goods, this focaccia is best served straight from the oven. You can also let it cool completely, wrap in foil and refrigerate for up to one week.

Loria says: “I can get lost in decorating piecrusts with botanicals. It’s such a satisfying process that provides an even greater reward after the bake. The whimsical vines of baked pea tendrils always amaze me. The extra effort of decorating is worth it, and this pie is delicious. I suggest serving it with a salad for brunch or for dinner.” 

Makes one 9-inch pie 

Ingredients

• 2 uncooked batches of Easy as Piecrust (see below)
• ½ cup (20g) pea tendrils or soft green herbs, such as parsley or cilantro, including soft stems
• Edible flowers, such as feverfew or chamomile (optional)
• 1 cup (113g) grated Comté or Gruyère cheese
• 4 large eggs, lightly whisked 
• 1¼ cups (295g) half-and-half 
• ½ cup (100g) frozen peas
• ¼ cup (10g) small-diced scallions (white and green parts)
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Egg wash: 1 large egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375°F with one rack set in the lowest position and another in the lower third position.

Par-bake 1 piecrust in a 9-inch pie plate on the lowest oven rack. Set it aside to cool completely.

Roll out the unbaked piecrust to 10 inches in diameter and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Decorate the unbaked piecrust with pea tendrils, overlapping them to create a scene of crawling green vines. Add flowers if you wish. Place a piece of parchment on top of your creation and use two flexible cutting mats or sheet pans to flip it so the decoration faces downward.

Place in the refrigerator or freezer to set for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cheese, eggs, half-and-half, frozen peas, scallions, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the par-baked piecrust.

Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the piecrust with some of the liquid egg filling (this will help secure the pie top). Take the decorated piecrust out of the refrigerator or freezer and carefully drape it over the pie so the design side faces up. Wait until the pie dough is flexible (when it warms up to nearly room temperature) and then lightly press the edges of the top decorated crust into the bottom crust.

Pierce the top of the pie with several slits so that hot air can escape while it bakes. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash for a shimmer if you wish.

Place the pie on a sheet pan on the lower third oven rack and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set, 50 to 55 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, or refrigerate and reheat to serve later.

Store leftover pie in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in a 175ºC/350°F oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Easy as piecrust

Makes one 9-inch par-baked pie shell

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour (you can substitute whole wheat pastry flour, rye flour, buckwheat, millet, or spelt)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (115g) unsalted butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil, cut into ⅐-inch cubes and frozen
• Up to ¼ cup (60g) ice water

Method

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours and salt and pulse until blended. Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse until the butter looks like little peas. Add the water in a slow stream as the food processor is running; stop adding water when the dough begins to come together. You might not need the full amount of water.

Turn out the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and place another sheet on top. Roll out the dough to a ¼-inch-thick 11 x 11-inch square.

Remove the top piece of parchment paper and lay the rolled-out dough (still on top of the parchment paper) over a 9-inch pie pan. Lightly press the bottom to be flush with the pan. Using your hands, fold the dough over itself so there is a crust rim around the edge of the circular pan. If the dough is uneven, simply cut a part that is hanging over and add to an area that needs more dough. Crimp the edges, using your thumb and fingers, into a series of Vs. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the crust all over.

Freeze the dough in the pie pan until hard, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 205ºC/400°F with a rack set in the lowest position.

Place the frozen crust in its pan on a sheet pan. Line the pie shell with parchment paper so that the paper is completely covering the pie and hanging several inches outside of the pie. Pour pie weights (or dried beans) into the pan to cover the bottom (or set an 8-inch cake pan into the pie pan to keep the dough in place.)

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges look slightly golden. Let rest until completely cool, then remove the pie weights. The piecrust is now par-baked.

Note: This recipe makes a single par-baked bottom crust. If you need a top crust, double the recipe, divide the dough in half, and refrigerate or freeze the top crust until you’re ready to roll it out.

Loria says: “This is the recipe that started it all! These beautiful cookies catapulted my career in food. Delicately sweet, with a touch of salt, my signature cookies are as delightful to make as they are to share with others. I love using a variety of colourful flowers so that when presented on a platter, the cookies give the impression of pages torn from a book of pressed flowers. The buttery shortbread dough takes the flavours of edible flowers and herbs wonderfully. Begonia will lend a tart apple-like taste, while a viola flower amplifies the sweetness naturally. In the recipe below I’ve used an array of different botanicals, but some of my favorites are pea tendrils for a verdant look; hibiscus and maple leaves, which are reminiscent of fall; and soft green herbs and freeze-dried peppercorns to celebrate the holidays. Get creative and don’t be afraid to mix and match your favorite flowers and herbs! Just remember that if you press an entire flower into your dough, it may overpower the cookie flavour, so petals, smaller blooms, and soft stems work best here.

Adhering edible flowers to cookies was a common practice of the Victorians in the 1800s. The cookies were baked and then the flowers, crystallized for longevity, were attached to the cookie with egg white. I choose instead to fasten the botanicals by pressing and freezing them into the dough, then baking the cookies with the flowers intact. This works much better to preserve the flowers and herbs rather than painstakingly painting each flower with egg white, so the recipe is easier to make at volume; it also allows me to make these beautiful treats vegan (using a vegan cookie recipe, of course). Adding fruit dusts, flavourings, and spices to the dough is a beautiful way to flavour and colour this base cookie recipe and add a different dimension to the pressed flower element.”

Makes 40 cookies

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1⅓ cups (300g) granulated sugar 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups (611g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups mixed edible flower petals and tender herbs
• Cane sugar, for sprinkling

Method

Line 2 flexible cutting mats with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and salt on medium speed until completely combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the yolks and mix until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until just combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball, about 5 minutes.

Place the dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll out the dough to 1/3 inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and stamp out the cookies with a 3-inch round cookie cutter, then artfully decorate each round with the edible flower petals and herbs. Replace the top sheet of parchment paper and gently roll over each cookie to fix the flowers in place. One by one, remove the flower-pressed cookies with an offset spatula and place them on a parchment-lined flexible cutting mat. Reroll and repeat with any remaining dough scraps.

Put the flexible mats with the unbaked cookies in layers in the freezer for 12 to 24 hours. This allows the flowers and herbs to keep their vibrant complexions in the hot oven.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 175ºC/350°F with a rack set in the middle position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Arrange the cookies on the prepared sheet pan, leaving 1/4-inch space between them. Bake for 9 minutes; rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack and sprinkle with cane sugar. Voilà!

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Flavour Combinations

Try these easy and flavourful alternatives for your shortbread dough! Choose pressed botanicals that complement the dough colour; often contrasting colours look great.

Matcha alfalfa: Mix 1/4 cup (20g) matcha powder into the flour and stir until uniform in colour before adding to the mixer. Use fresh pressed wheat grass (in place of the vanilla extract).

Turmeric lemon : Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest with the butter and use fresh lemon juice in place of the vanilla extract. Mix 3 tablespoons (15g) ground turmeric powder into the flour and stir until uniform in colour before adding to the mixer.

Raspberry rose: Use rose water in place of the vanilla extract. Replace 1/2 cup (63g) of the flour with 1/2 cup (50g) raspberry powder and stir until uniform in colour before adding to the mixer.

Blueberry: Use blueberry extract in place of the vanilla extract. Replace 1/2 cup (63g) of the flour with 1/2 cup (50g) blueberry powder and replace an additional 1/4 cup (32g) flour with 1/4 cup (20g) blue spirulina or butterfly pea powder. Stir until uniform in colour before adding to the mixer. Add 1/2 cup (13g) freeze-dried blueberries to the dough when it has almost come together in a ball.

Charcoal: Add 3 tablespoons (15g) activated charcoal powder to the flour and stir until uniform in colour before adding to the mixer.

Decorations

Get inspired by the colour and flavours of the seasons with these decorations:

Autumn: Instead of colourful flowers, opt for pressing your cookie dough with edible maple or hibiscus leaves.

Winter: Use bright greenery such as carrot tops, chervil, thyme, or tarragon and freeze-dried pink peppercorns and decorate like boughs of holly or little wreaths.

Eat Your Flowers: A Cookbook by Loria Stern (HarperCollins, £30) is out now