Sugared Rosemary (Holiday Decoration)
Sugared rosemary is one of my favorite Christmas decorations. They give the impression of little snow-covered Christmas trees. You’ll see, it’s simple, elegant and perfect for decorating a log, a cocktail, a cake or a Christmas table.
In this post
Why You Will Love this Decoration?
I discovered sugared rosemary this year while looking for decoration ideas for my French Christmas Ckae (Yule log or Bûche) and I’m now a fan of this recipe:
- FANCY: the frosted effect immediately looks fancy on the table.
- SIMPLE: 3 minutes of preparation, the rest is just resting time.
- 2 IN 1: In fact, I make this recipe for both the rosemary and the syrup. You’ll see it takes on a nice rosemary flavor that I then use in my cocktails, in baking or in my tea. You can even give it as a gift!
And while you’re at it, I recommend making the sugar-frosted cranberries at the same time, it’s the same principle and the two go great together!
Recipe Card
Sugared Rosemary (Holiday Decoration)
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Ingredients
For the syrup
- 1 cup water 250 ml
- 1 cup 1/4 sugar 250 g
For the sugared rosemary
- 8 to 10 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 100 granulated sugar for coating
Instructions
- Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat: the syrup should be hot but not boiling.
- Dip the fresh rosemary sprigs into the hot syrup. Using a fork, pull out each branch and shake off excess syrup. Place on a cooling rack.
- Leave to dry for 1.30 hour: the leaves should become sticky, but not too damp.
- Before adding the sugar, gently pull the leaves apart to prevent them sticking together. Then roll the branches in sugar to obtain a pretty frosted effect. Leave to dry for another hour to allow the sugar to set.
Notes
My 3 Tips for Perfect Sugared Rosemary
I’ll give you 3 more tips that I noted while making the recipe to obtain a beautiful frosted effect:
- Use very fresh rosemary: branches should be green and tightly packed. Use the tips, if possible, to create a “tree” effect.
- Wring out the branches well before letting them dry: if they’re too damp, the sugar will melt and the result won’t be as pretty.
- Use crystal or granulated sugar, never fine sugar: the frosted effect will be much prettier.
What to Do with Sugared Rosemary?
You can use it absolutely anywhere during the holidays:
- On a cake, I personally use it to decorate my French Christmas Yule Log aka Bûche de Noël.
- In a festive cocktail
- On a cheese or charcuterie platter
- As a decoration on dessert such as a Chocolate Mousse or a pie
- On your Christmas table, around the candles
FAQ – Sugared Rosemary
The rosemary was too damp (this is always a bit trickier than with cranberries). Let it dry longer (1 h 30 minimum) before adding the sugar.
No, it won’t really gorge itself with syrup, so the sugar won’t stick well. The rosemary must be fresh.
It keeps for quite a long time, but will look best in the first 3 days.
