Take time to smell the roses.
Slow down and enjoy what is going on around you. Enjoy the pleasures of life, like this shortbread made with rose water and dried rose petals.
There is something about using roses in your baking that seems pretty glam.
Rose water is a by product of rose oil which is used in perfumes. It is steam distilled crushed rose petals. Rose water is used a lot in Iranian food, in things like turkish delight, or sweets, much like how we use vanilla essence.
I was intrigued so I got a bottle and had a rose water bake off today (Rose water shortbread vs Rose water and honey Mandelines) Fight to the death (via tummy). This is them looking like star shaped flowers in a little baby milk bottle vase.
150g butter (room temp)
220g flour
80g castor sugar
1 egg yolk
1 T dried rose petals
1 t rose water
Smidge salt (just a pinch)
Chop the butter into little cubes. Put the butter, egg yolk and sugar in a bowl to blend together. I have a mixer so I just put it on a medium speed with the paddle. When it is blended add the flour, rose water, petals and salt. Knead it a little with your hands and then tip it out on to a clean bench to knead until it is like a dough. Knead it into a little log and cover with glad wrap. Put it in the fridge for 30 min.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Take the chilled dough out of the fridge. Roll it out to about 5mm thick. Cut the shortbread into any shapes (I used a star cookie cutter). Place them on the baking paper.
Put trays into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden around the edge, but pale in the middle.
Cool them on a wire rack.
While you are cooling them, put 2 cups of dark chocolate (chopped) in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. When the chocolate has melted tip it into a creme brulee sized ramekin, or a small tea cup. Dip the shortbread into the ramekin to coat one half then leave to set on the wire rack.
Flash. Your shortbread smells like roses. Stop to smell it (and taste it).
