This is a gourmet candy made with pansy (Viola Odorata). You can find them from february to may in the woods or in gardens.
The "violette" (how we call them in Italy) are sweet and perfumed, and they look really decorative and delicate.
You can eat these pretty candy just by themselves, use them to accompany a cup of espresso or to decorate icecream, dessert or cakes.

Step 1: WHAT YOU NEED

Ingredients:
-violet (pansy, botanical name: viola odorosa), for as many candy you want to make. Pick the fresher and bigger one. Thake them far away from a street and If you think they may be dirty you can gently wash them and let them dry on a clean towel; don't remove the stem.
-sugar (enough for deep all your violet);
-water (the sam weight of the water you are going to use).

Step 2: MELTED THE SUGAR

-Put the sugar and the water in a pan and put it on the fire.
-Cook until it will become thick like a sirup, and if you drop a tear of it on a plate, the drop should stay solid like a little ball.
The sugar shouldn't become brown.
-Allowed the sirup to cool down a little bit to dont cook the violet.

Step 3: DEEP THE VIOLET

Deep the violet in the sirup, holding them up from the stem.

Step 4: PLACE THE CANDY ON PAPER

Place each violet on some parchment paper, far from each other.
If the sirup is little bit too solid you can help yourself with a fork.
Let them cool down and become hard for a day.