Step 1

Peel the carrots, then place on a cutting board; with a vegetable peeler pressed firmly against the root end, drag the blade down its length. Discard the first few thin and irregular strips, and continue peeling to amass a pile of thick, even ribbons.

Step 2

Combine water, sugar, and salt in a 2-quart stainless steel saucier over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Drop carrot ribbons into the bubbling syrup, simmer 30 seconds, then shut off the heat. When cool enough to handle, fish out a ribbon and let the excess syrup drip off.

Step 3

Holding the skinny end with your dominant hand, twist and wrap a carrot ribbon around itself to form a "bud." Continue twisting and wrapping to create the remaining petals, then tuck the end of the strip underneath itself. If you like, more strips can be added to create a larger rose. Place on a fully frosted Brown Butter Carrot Cake, repeating with additional carrot roses to create a lush bouquet.