Floral delicacies: Rose-based dessert recipes
INFUSE delicious desserts with the delicate floral fragrance of summer.
Scrumptious strawberries turn mini sponges into heavenly seasonal treats (left)
Mini strawberry and rosewater sponge cakes
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
250g (8½oz) unsalted butter, softened
250g (8½oz) Billington’s unrefined golden caster sugar
4 free-range eggs, medium
½ tsp Nielsen-Massey rosewater
250g (8½oz) self-raising flour, sifted
For the filling:
300g (10½oz) icing sugar, plus extra to dust
150g (5¼oz) unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp Nielsen-Massey rosewater
4 tbsps strawberry jam
Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F/gas mark 4 and grease and base line a 12-hole loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment.
Put the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between each addition. Add the rosewater.
Carefully fold in the flour until it is evenly mixed.
Spoon the batter into the tin until each hole is two-thirds full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the sponges are golden brown and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Use a small, round-ended knife to loosen the sponges from the sides of the tin. Carefully remove each sponge from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
To make the buttercream, place the icing sugar and butter in a bowl and beat together slowly. Turn up the speed and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the rosewater and beat again.
When the cakes are cool, cut each in half widthways. Spread strawberry jam on one cake layer and buttercream on the other. Sandwich the two together.
Top with a dusting of icing sugar.
Rose cocktail
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes
100ml (3¼fl oz) cold water
50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
2 tsps Nielsen-Massey rosewater
80ml (2²/³fl oz) gin
40ml (1¼fl oz) crème de cassis
40ml (1¼fl oz) rosé sparkling wine
Rose petals, for garnish
Put the water and sugar in a pan and simmer gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then turn off the heat.
Allow this syrup cool then add rosewater to taste and store in the fridge until it is needed.
Mix 40ml (1¼fl oz) of the syrup with the liqueur and the gin. Pour into 4 chilled glasses and top up with the sparkling rosé wine. Garnish with rose petals.
Raspberries and rosewater bring a touch of finesse to madeleines (right)
Rosewater meringue kisses
Makes: 22
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
2 egg whites, medium
110g (3¾oz) caster sugar
½ tsp Nielsen-Massey rosewater
Pink food colouring, a few drops
For the ganache:
70g (2½oz) double cream
100g (3½oz) white chocolate, chopped finely
60g (2oz) fresh raspberries
Pink food colouring, a few drops (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 120°C/248°F/gas mark 1. Line two baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment.
Put the egg whites into a clean, dry bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Then add the rosewater. Whisk until the meringue looks thick, firm and glossy.
Gently fold in the food colouring until you get your desired shade. The colour may fade a little in the oven so you might want to make the mixture a little darker than your final shade.
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large, open star nozzle and gently squeeze until it is just visible at the tip. Pipe small swirls about 3cm (1in) in diameter on to the baking sheets, leaving a gap of at least 3cm between each.
Bake for 1-1¼ hours until the meringues are dry to the touch, easily peel from the paper and sound hollow if gently tapped on the bottom. Turn off the oven and leave to cool with the door ajar. These can be made in advance and kept for a week in an airtight container.
Make the ganache by heating the cream in a saucepan over a low heat until it is just boiling. Remove from the hob and pour over the chocolate. Stir well until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Lightly crush the raspberries and fold into the ganache. Add food colouring if desired. Chill the ganache for 15-20 minutes or until it is a spreadable consistency.
Raspberry madeleines with rosewater cream
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter, softened
50g (1¾oz) Billington’s unrefined golden caster sugar
½ tsp Nielsen-Massey rosewater
1 orange, zest only
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp whole milk
50g (1¾oz) self-raising flour, sifted
12 fresh raspberries
For the rosewater cream:
400ml (14fl oz) double cream
1 tsp Billington’s unrefined golden icing sugar
1 orange, zest only
1 tsp Nielsen-Massey rosewater
For the decoration:
Billington’s unrefined golden icing sugar to dust
Handful of small mint leaves
Preheat the oven to 180°C/248°F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease and dust with flour a 12-shell madeleine tin.
Using an electric mixer or a mixing bowl and whisk, cream the butter, sugar, rosewater and orange zest together for a few minutes until pale and fluffy.
Reduce the whisk speed and add the egg and milk.
Fold in the flour until well mixed. Place a heaped tablespoon of batter into each madeleine shell and press a raspberry into the centre of each one.
Cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the madeleines are a pale golden brown and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer the madeleines to a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the rosewater cream. Whisk together the double cream, icing sugar, orange zest and rosewater until slightly thickened and store in the fridge until needed.
Once the madeleines are cool, dust them with icing sugar. Serve with a few fresh mint leaves and the rosewater cream on the side.
Chocolate cake garnished with rose petals makes an elegant centrepiece for teatime on the terrace
Chocolate cake with rose petals
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour
100g (3½oz) plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
100g (3½oz) unsalted butter
250ml (8½fl oz) whole milk
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
15g (½oz) cocoa powder
300g (10½oz) self-raising white flour, sifted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225g (7¾oz) Billington’s unrefined golden caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
For the chocolate ganache:
225g (7¾oz) plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
100g (3½oz) unsalted butter
142ml (5fl oz) double cream
To decorate:
Rose petals
Preheat the oven to 180°C/248°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm (7¾in) round, deep cake tin and line with baking paper.
Place the chocolate with 50g (1¾oz) of the butter in a bowl and melt overa pan of hot water. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter.
Mix the milk and vinegar together. Place all the other cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the milk mixture and the chocolate butter mixture. Beat until smooth.
Transfer to the tin and bake for 1 hour or until the cake is firm in the centre. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave for 3 minutes on medium, stirring halfway through.
Then beat in the cream. Alternatively, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of just simmering water. Stir until smooth, then beat in the cream. Cool slightly.
Slice the cake widthways into two layers. Spread a quarter of the ganache on one layer and sandwich the cake together. Spread the rest of the ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with rose petals.
For more information and stockist details contact Nielsen Massey (nielsenmassey.co.uk)