The unicorn trend is nothing new to anyone and, after it took over Instagram feeds worldwide being pictured in many food and drinks, it soon became realized that all that coloring was not as tasty as it looked.
However, with the magical food trend growing and wanted by girls for all their birthday treats, we can’t just make it disappear. That is why there is a solution to creating an edible unicorn delight, without using too many sugars, e numbers or preservatives.
Sandra Mahut, a Paris-based photographer, has recently released a unicorn guide in Australia. She provides a solution for adding technicolor sparkle to all your favorite treats, without using any unwanted extras. Sandra’s showstopping creations are all made from natural food dyes, and she is still able to make cosmic doughnuts, veggie sandwiches, and the ultimate unicorn cake.
Rather than using sugars and preservatives, Sandra has turned her attention to using natural plant-based food colorings by using spinach leaves, beetroot juice, and different spices. To get a splash of purple, you can use blueberry juice, acai powder or beetroot.
To achieve a blue coloring, boil down blueberries until the liquid is concentrated and then strain out the blueberries, achieving a completely natural food dye. Sometimes a mixture of these natural ingredients will be needed to achieve the perfect coloring, but there are many choices out there to get exactly the color you are after.
Another way to get a soft shade of blue is by simply using red cabbage. All you need to do to create the dye is boil up sliced red cabbage leaves and strain it out, reducing the liquid until it is thick and syrupy. The finishing touch is by adding a pinch of baking powder, and you are good to go. Small uses of baking powder have a great effect on taste, but be sure to not add too much as it will have the opposite effect.
While this is all good for baking goods and sweet treats, you can also do the same for your noodles or rice. Just simply pour some of your homemade dye into your boiling water, and you will have your perfect technicolor savory dish.