Tiny Rose Cookies

I'm embarrassed. A customer who'd bought my How to Eat a Rose book called 2 days ago to inquire if something might have been left out of the Tiny Rose Cookie recipe, on page 30. The book's been in print for several years and I've not had any complaints about the recipe before. So I used my recipe to make a batch of cookies to see what might be the problem.

Maybe it was a mistake she'd made?  Maybe something was missing in the recipe? I had to know. In looking at the recipe, I guessed it was missing some flour. But how much?

The first batch of cookies turned out just as the customer had said - they spread out together, a mess. They were too moist to roll into balls, as well. The recipe called for 3/4 cup of flour, with rose flower water, and the other ingredients.

The lighter colored ones were from the old recipe, the second trial was better but still not quite right.

I made a second batch, adding an additional one cup of flour. The cookies turned out like they should, but had little rose flavor.  The rose water I was using was some I'd had in the pantry for no telling how long. I hate to throw spices and such things away. So I made another batch, this time omitting the rose water and replacing it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of rose syrup and an additional 1/4 cup of flour. The cookies came out rosy! (I made it with both 1 3/4 cups of flour, and also 2 cups, both work but the 2 cups made the cookies too crisp the following day).

Rose syrup works better in this recipe.

When I retyped the recipe from my notes, or possibly when the book designer retyped it, the one was left out. The difference between making a large pancake, and cookies apparently is one cup of flour!

 Here's the revised recipe and this one works just fine. Try it. These are dainty little nibbles. (Note, when adding the rose syrup, if the dough isn't stiff enough, add a bit more flour, but the amounts listed below work well).

Tiny Rose Cookies

Dainty little nibbles for tea time.

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 3/4 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons rose syrup

Tiny pinch of mace or 2 drops vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.
Cream sugar and butter, then add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Roll pinches of dough into marble-sized balls and place about an inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 30 cookies.

Marble sized pinches of dough, ready to bake.

Here's the way they turn out with the recipe corrections. These are tasty little cookies.

See my earlier posts about a good source for excellent rose water from Urbanherbal.com.

Rose Water Pound Cake

I saw William Varney had posted a note about his Rose Geranium and Rose Water Pound Cake on FaceBook and I asked him if he'd share it with our readers here. Here's his kind reply. Thanks William!

Hi Jim,
Here is the recipe:

Rose Geranium & Rose Flower Water Pound Cake

Men often present women with roses, chocolate, perfume, music and other pleasurable treats to put them in a romantic frame of mind. “Awaken his or her senses” seems to be the unstated motto of suitors. This cake certainly follows suit.

6 rose-scented geranium leaves
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons rose water
½ teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups unbleached flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
Zest from one small lemon

Powdered sugar, bittersweet chocolate, organic red roses, rose geranium leaves as optional garnishes
Preheat oven to 300 F. Butter and flour a 10 inch tube pan. (We like to use a heart shaped pan.) In a food processor, finely mince geranium leaves with sugar. Add butter and cream mixture until light. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Add rose water and extracts. Blend well. Sift flour, salt and soda together 3 times. Add alternately with the sour cream to the butter mixture. Add lemon zest and blend well. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 to ½ hours or until golden and firm. Loosen edges with a knife, and let stand for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert on rack to cool. Glaze or dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle with bittersweet chocolate. Garnish.
William K. Varney www.URBANherbal.com

Note: Urban Herbal sells their own rose water so visit their website if you'd like to order it.

Urban Herbal's Rose Flower Water.