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Treasure Journeys - Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
Food Recipes
Hibiscus Flower with Chevre, Chive and Black Pepper Appetizer
Makes 11 servings
1 jar (8.8oz) Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
1 small (8-oz) roll of Chevre (goat’s cheese)
Chives cut into two inch pieces
Fresh black pepper
Drain hibiscus flowers and set aside (reserve syrup for other applications like
vinaigrettes or drizzling across pancakes)
Pinch off small amounts of cheese to roll into 11 equal sized, neat round balls then
gently push a ball of Chevre into each reserved Wild Hibiscus Flower. Lay a cut chive
piece across the top and then grind a sprinkle of fresh black pepper across the top.
Serve immediately or prepare ahead of time.
Hibiscus Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Makes 4 to 6 starter servings
1 jar (250g) Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 cups mixed salad greens (about one 5-oz bag)
1 large orange, peeled and diced
Drain hibiscus flowers and reserve syrup. Cut each flower in quarters, set aside.
Combine the poppy seeds, mustard and cider vinegar in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the
reserved syrup.* Whisk in the olive oil and season to taste.
Add the greens to the dressing and gently toss. Divide among plates and scatter with
orange pieces and hibiscus flowers. Serve immediately.
*Save remaining syrup to add to cocktails or lemonade.
Hibiscus Berry Sundae
Makes 4 servings
This sundae is also excellent built on a slice of angle food or pound cake.
1 jar (250g) Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 cup fresh raspberries or quartered strawberries
whipped cream
chopped pistachio nuts (optional)
Drain hibiscus flowers and reserve syrup. Cut each flower in half.
Scoop ice cream into 4 bowls. Scatter with berries and then drizzle with the hibiscus
syrup. Top with a pouf of whipped cream and scatter with hibiscus flowers and nuts.
Serve immediately.
Hibiscus, Warm Brie & Almond Crostini
Makes 20 to 24 pieces
1 jar (250g) Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
1 small (8-oz) wheel brie cheese
20 to 24 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices baguette (about 1 baguette)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, with skin
Garnish: fresh thyme or snipped chives
Preheat oven to 450° F. Drain hibiscus flowers and reserve syrup. Cut each flower in
half.
Cut the brie into 1/4-inch-thick slices sized to cover about three quarters of a baguette
slice. Spread the almonds in a flat dish. Press the brie firmly onto the bread slices then,
facedown, into the almonds. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until the brie is soft, bread is
crispy, and nuts are lightly toasted, about 4 to 6 minutes. Top each one with a piece of
hibiscus and drizzle lightly with the reserved syrup* as desired. Garnish with herbs.
Serve immediately.
*To thicken the syrup, put it in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce
the heat to medium and cook until syrup is reduced by 1/3 or coats the back of a spoon. Syrup
will thicken more as it cools.
Grilled Chicken & Hibiscus Skewers
with Sassy Ginger Dipping Sauce
Makes 4 skewers
1 jar (250g) Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
1 Tbsp. finely minced or grated fresh ginger
1/2 to 1 tsp. hot sauce
3 green onions (scallions)
1 to1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 32 pieces
vegetable oil as needed
salt and pepper
4 metal skewers or 10" heavy wood skewers soaked in water
Drain hibiscus flowers, reserving syrup in a small bowl.
To make the dipping sauce: Mix ginger and hot sauce into the reserved syrup.
Trim and cut each green onion into 4 pieces. Thread each skewer as follows: 2 pieces of
chicken, 1 piece of green onion, then 1 hibiscus flower*; repeat twice; then finish with 2
pieces of chicken. Lightly brush skewers with oil and season to taste with salt and
pepper.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Cook skewers until chicken is cooked through, about 4 to 5
minutes per side. Drizzle skewers with dipping sauce and serve extra on the side.
*Cut one flower in half if needed; jars contain approximately 11–12 flowers.
Wild Hibiscus Cheesecake
Makes 1 9-inch cheesecake
1 jar (250g) Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
Crust
1 cup graham cracker meal
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. superfine or baker's sugar
Cake Layer
1 cup sugar
3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup reserved hibiscus syrup
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. flour
Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain hibiscus flowers and reserve syrup. Cut each flower in quarters.
For crust: Mix together graham crackers, butter and sugar, and pat into bottom of 9″ spring-form
pan.
For cake layer: Beat together sugar and cream cheese until fluffy, then mix in the reserved syrup.
Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream and flour until smooth. Pour into crust and bake in
lower part of oven about 35 – 45 minutes or until the center is set but still slightly jiggly. Remove
from oven and let cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Loosen cheesecake
from rim of pan; remove rim.
To serve: Cut with a knife dipped in hot water. Scatter slices of cheesecake with hibiscus flowers.
Store leftover cheesecake refrigerated.
*If you don't have time to make cheesecake from scratch, then purchase a high-quality
cheesecake and serve scattered with quartered hibiscus flowers and drizzled with the hibiscus
syrup.
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