These tulips are good enough to eat

Spring radishes and Babybel cheeses are easy to carve into tulips and make a cute, edible, flower arrangement. Pair with a spring herb ranch dip for a wonderfully surprising snack.

Spring is the start of the edible flower season, but it’s also a great time to make flowers out of your food. This edible flower arrangement is great for surprising your kids as an after-school snack. I brought mine to my husband as a lunch break surprise.

There are dozens of ways to make radish flowers, but I find tulips to be one of the easiest. My mom first taught me this technique when I was just 9 years old. Start by slicing the ends off of each radish.

Then place the radish on one end and slice down through all four sides, stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom.

Now you’ll need to put the radishes in ice water to help them open up. About 10-20 minutes should do the trick. You can also just put them in a bowl of cold water and place it in the fridge. While they’re chilling, you can work on the cheese tulips and make your leaves.

For your Babybel cheese tulips, I find it easiest to use the paring knife to lightly score the wax to make sure I’m making the right shape before cutting. You just need to cut two triangles from the cheese on the end opposite from the pull tabs. You may find the cheese gets onto the red wax of your tulip, just wipe it off with your finger for a nice clean look.

To make your leaves, grab a piece of bright green tissue paper. You’ll be twisting them up, so it’s totally fine to use the crumpled piece you’ve been saving from your birthday gift five years ago. Cut out strips of paper that are 1 inch wide by 12 inches long. You need one strip for each flower.

Poke a bamboo skewer into the bottom of each radish and cheese flower. Twist a strip of tissue paper, then tie it around the skewer.

To arrange your flowers in a pot or basket, you can cut a piece of florists foam to fit, but I found it easier to just make a batch of green homemade playdough.

You may also want to break the skewers to different lengths to add varying height to your edible bouquet.

These flowers are even more fun when served with a spring herb ranch dip.

Radish and Babybel cheese tulips with spring herb ranch dip

Yields 8 flowers

Ingredients and supplies:

• 4 radishes
• 4 Babybel cheeses
• Paring knife
• 8 bamboo skewers
• Green tissue paper
• Green florists foam or playdough
• Medium flowerpot

For the dip

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Milk (as needed to thin the dip)

Directions:

1. Slice the ends off of each radish, then place the radish on 1 cut end, and slice down through all 4 sides, stopping about 1/4 inch from the bottom. Put the radishes in ice water for about 20 minutes, to make them open up.
2. While the radishes are chilling, cut 2 triangles from each cheese, on the end opposite from the pull tabs.
3. To make your leaves, cut out 8 strips of tissue paper that are 1 inch wide by 12 inches long.
4. Poke a bamboo skewer into the bottom of each radish and cheese flower. Twist a strip of tissue paper, then tie it around the skewer.
5. Pack foam or playdough into the bottom of the flowerpot. At this point you may want to break the skewers to different lengths to add varying height to your edible bouquet. Arrange the flowers by poking the skewers in.
6. To make your dip, mix together the herbs, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper. If the dip is too thick, drizzle some milk in a little at a time, while whisking with a fork, to get your desired consistency.
7. Eat the tulips within 1 hour of creating.

More healthy cute snack recipes

Edible ladybugs
Rainbow smoothie pops
Watermelon grill with fruit kabobs