Rose and Violet Creams

These chocolate floral creams are a truly old-fashioned confection

1. 1

   Place the double cream, 1 drop of pink food colouring and the rose syrup into a bowl - or 1 drop of the purple food colouring and the violet syrup - and mix well.
   
   Sift the icing sugar (225g/8oz for the violet creams) over the cream mixture and stir to combine. Tip the mixture out onto a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar and knead the fondant with your hands until it all comes together in a firm ball. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
   
   Using your hands, roll 20 teaspoon-sized lumps of mixture into balls, then flatten them slightly and place on a plate. Heat 5cm (2in) of water in a pan. Pop a heatproof bowl on top, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
   
   Place the milk (rose) or dark (violet) chocolate and the groundnut oil in the bowl and warm until melted. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
   
   Line a flat 39 x 35cm (15 1/4 x 13 3/4in) baking sheet with baking parchment. Carefully take a fondant ball, one at a time, and, using two forks, dip it in the melted chocolate until coated all over.
   
   Be quick about it, as you don't want to melt the fondant. Place the coated fondant ball onto the baking parchment. Top each chocolate with a crystallised rose or violet petal and leave to cool and set in a cool place. Place in sweet cases to serve, if you like.
   
   Makes 20 rose or 20 violet creams.