Calla Lilies

These aren’t just cookies. They’re edible flowers that look like they belong in a botanical garden.

A light, spongy batter of beaten eggs, sugar, cake flour, and vanilla gets dropped onto cookie sheets and baked for just about five minutes. The trick is working fast: while each cookie is still warm and pliable, you roll it into a cone shape that mimics the elegant trumpet of a calla lily.

Once cooled, each lily gets piped full of sweetened whipped cream. A slender sliver of candied orange peel tucked into the center becomes the flower’s golden stamen. The effect is stunning.

These are a showpiece for tea parties, bridal showers, Easter dessert tables, or any time you want to bake something that makes people gasp before they take a bite.

Kitchen Tips

• Work quickly once the cookies come out of the oven. They stiffen fast and become impossible to roll once cool.
• Bake only a few at a time so you can shape them before they harden. Two to three per sheet is manageable.
• Secure the base of each lily with a toothpick while it cools to hold the shape. Remove before serving.
• Fill with whipped cream just before serving. Too early and the moisture softens the delicate shell.