Pansies, also known as wild violets or viola tricolors, are annual or biennial plants with a woody stem. They produce yellow, white or purple flowers. In some instances, they feature three different colors, which explain how they got the “tricolor” name. The flowers are edible and have high nutritional value. At this juncture, it is important to emphasize that pansy flowers for cooking should be organically grown to avoid ingesting pesticide residue. Raw pansy flowers have a strong flavor with a wintergreen taste depending on the variety you eat. They are commonly used to garnish cream soups, in salads or to make syrup. Fresh pansies can also be pressed on cake icing or placed in a bowl of fruit for garnishing. Alternatively, you can go the route most chefs take by candying the flowers. Candied flowers help preserve them and give the blossoms a sweeter, dessert-like taste. To make candy pansies, whisk egg white together with a teaspoonful of water until the two are thoroughly mixed up. Using a paintbrush, apply the mixture on both sides of the blossoms and make sure you coat them evenly. Next, dust the pansies with confectioners’ sugar, place the coated flowers facing up on a sheet of parchment and let them dry for 12-24 hours. The flowers should preserve for about a year. Pansy tartlets Pansy tartlets are perfect for tea parties. To make them, you need the following: 6 large egg yolks 2/3 cup apricot jam 2/3 cup sugar Pate Brisee for pansy tartlets 24 pansy blossoms with trimmed stems ½ cup of unsalted butter ½ cup of fresh lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon Process: Put the apricot jam and 1 ½ tablespoon of water in a saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil as you stir. Remove from heat, pour the liquid through a fine strainer and get rid of the solids. Return the liquid to the saucepan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a mildly floured surface, roll one disk Pate Brisnee into a 10 ½ by 14-inch rectangle. Cut into twelve, 3 1/2 s/b twelve 3 1/2 rectangle. Press one square of dough into each of the tartlet pans. Trim edges with a knife. Repeat the process until you are done. Prick shells and place 3-inch square aluminum foil into each shell. Fill them with rice or dried beans and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 13 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Mix the egg yolks, lemon juice, and sugar as well as lemon zest in a saucepan as you whisk. Set over medium heat and stir constantly with a spoon. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove pan from the heat, add butter and stir until smooth. Pour lemon curd into the shells until almost full. Place tartlets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Using your fingers, rub the flowers with water, place the wet pansies in the center of each tartlet and melt the reserved jam. Brush the tops with jam and place in airtight containers until it is time to serve them. Since pansy flowers come in various colors, they pair well with many dishes and you can hardly run out of ideas to turn them into great culinary delights.