Baking with Rose
(Almost) Everything You Need to Know - Friday Food Chat with Kath
If you’ve been following this newsletter for a while, it might not have escaped your notice that I am a big fan of using rose in baking.
I love the flavour, but there is a trick to knowing how to use it and not make it overpowering.
Rosewater is probably the most common form of adding a hint of rose to baking. I personally really love rosewater, and have found over the years that those produced in Iran have the most subtle and nuanced flavour, making it easier to increase or decrease the intensity of the rose flavour in a baked good.
If you’ve tried rosewater before and found it overpowering, try a different brand of rosewater and start with using less than the recipe suggests. If you have access to any Persian or Middle Eastern grocers or supermarkets you are likely to find a decent selection of rosewater to choose from.
Fresh or dried rose petals can also be used in baking. I use them mostly for their decorative effect, however fresh edible rose petals can also be used to make rose sugar, syrup and crystallised rose petals. If using rose petals from a household garden, ensure they are not sprayed with anything as this will make them inedible.
Rose powder is another great way to give bakes a subtle rose flavour. I like to add this to icings as it gives them some colour and flavour, which can be increased by using rosewater as well.
Here are some recipes that use rose in all its forms, and for more check out my Baking with Rose eBook:
Raspberry and Rose Sponge Cake
Crystallised Rose Petals
Check out more recipes over on the paid version of this newsletter feat. A Ginger Sponge Cake, Salmon Herbed Pikelets and A Caramel Ginger Pudding. See the whole archive here and sign up to support my work and get it all straight to your inbox or Substack feed!
Lychee Rose Summer Cooler
It’s not quite Summer yet, but this drink is one to make when only an iced drink will do. Rose and lychee go really well together, and you can freeze any leftovers in ice block/popsicle moulds.
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