Hello out there in la-la-land! Last month I visited Chicago and went to a cannabis cafe that serves CBD and Delta-8 infused drinks and baked goods. Drinks were good, baked goods were disappointingly meh. Without thinking about dosing, I stupidly consumed 3x the amount of Delta-8 THC than I should have and had one of the most intense, uncomfortable highs I've ever felt. I barfed 3 times and a few hours later I was fine. Moral of the Story: Know your dose and how much you can tolerate! Don't consume things if you're not 100% sure of the potency and dosing. 

That is why I prefer to make my infused baked goods low dose, at 5mg or less. I'd rather eat a second cookie than only eat 1/4 of it. The gorgeous hunk of cake (pictured above) is a custom cake made with edible cannabis leaves and flowers are pressed onto a vanilla bean buttercream, chocolate, whisky caramel cake, infused with 40mg Lake Grade Space Melon OG.

This cake made such a splash that it sparked a collaboration with Chronic Biophiliac, who designs and produces cannabis print luxury wallpaper. We're designing a Baking With Chickens weed-flowers-chicken wallpaper -- coming end of September 2021! I'm so clucking excited you do not even know.  

Featured this month: 

• Edible Flowers, Zinnias
• How to Press + Dry Edible Flowers and Cannabis Leaves 
• Recipe: Cannabis Leaf Smoothie 

Currently obsessed with:

"Mooncakes and Milk Bread" cookbook by Kristina Cho featuring sweet and savory recipes inspired by Chinese bakeries. Dose of Saucy infused bbq sauce and herbal vinaigrette is the condiment I didn't know I needed, plus founder Tess Melody is an inspiration. Must get my hands on the Milky Fruity collab from my fave edibles brand Rose Delights and Chef Lexie Park of Nünchi jelly cakes. Kasama's Black Truffle Croissant was the best thing I've ever put in my mouth, it's got truffle butter, cheese, salt, sugar pearls, flaky layers of croissant, honey... zomg. Speaking of putting things in my mouth, you have to check out the breathtakingly beautiful handblown glass smoking accessories made by Los Angeles-based glass artist Sibelle Yüsek.  

Bok-bok-BAKE!

Christina

P.S. Speaking of collabs, the Such Good Birds x Baking With Chickens Collab Collection -- cute stuff for nerdy birdies -- is now available! You can wear Dude on a t-shirt!  There are rainbow hologram notebooks, aprons, art prints, cards, tote bags, t-shirts, stickers, socks, and more. A portion of sales donated to Adopt-a-Bird Network. 

Edible Flowers, Zinnias

The pink flowers on the cake are zinnias, the entire flower is edible but the bitter petals are best used as a garnish for color. They don't add much in the flavor department but they grow in a rainbow of colors that look great on any dish. 

The plant and flowers themselves are easy to grow, fast blooming, and heat tolerant so they're great summer flowers to grow in any climate. It's an annual which means the original plant will die at the end of the season but if you let the flowers go to seed, save the seeds and plant them next spring. 

If you're going to use a fresh whole zinnia flower as cake decoration, I recommend snipping off the flower head while reserving at least 1.5-inches of stem, and press into the cake firmly so the remaining stem pokes into the cake for stability.

How to Press + Dry Flowers and Cannabis Leaves

Pressed and dried edible flowers like pansies, violas, nasturtiums, cornflowers, dianthus, and cannabis fan leaves can be harvested and dried when the flowers are in season, and stored to use at a later date. 

Thick flowers like zinnias and roses don't press flat very well. Drying their petals in a dehydrator rather than flattening the entire flower is a better technique for saving thick flowers. 

Delicate cannabis fan leaves are trimmed during the plant's growing season to allow light to shine through to encourage healthy flower growth. But don't toss those leaves, eat them! Cannabis leaves can be stored fresh in a sealed container between damp sheets of paper towels in the fridge for ~30 days. Leaves with stems can be placed in a cup of water in the fridge and will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks. 

1. Place the clean, dry flowers or cannabis leaves between two sheets of parchment paper.
2. Place the parchment paper between pages of a large heavy book, like a cookbook. 
3. Close the book and place a heavy object on top of it to keep the book flat. 
4. Leave untouched pressed between the book to dry for 3-4 weeks. 
5. When fully dry, gently lift the flowers from the parchment paper and store flat in a sealed container. Keep dry, cool, and out of direct sunlight until ready to use. 

Use pressed flowers and leaves in these recipes: 

Recipe: Canna Leaf Smoothie

Fan leaves are full of antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients. Toss a handful of raw leaves into your morning smoothie for a green boost! Nope, you won't get high from eating them, but you do get the benefits of cannabinoids in their raw form. It's a lot like wheatgrass. I like how the grassy, earthy flavor of the leaves offsets the sweetness from the fruit.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup frozen mixed fruit (blueberries, strawberries, mango, peaches)

3-4 cannabis fan leaves

1/2 cup creamy almond or cashew yogurt 

1/2 cup nut milk 

1 teaspoon hemp or chia or flax seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend ingredients together at high speed until smooth. Add more nut milk if desired for a thinner consistency.