This idea came to me because dried all petals are precisely that—dry, so why not soften them up by moistening them with cookie dough? Not only did that work well, but the pieces of rose petals look so pretty in the cookies!
I made these for Christmas cookies a couple of years ago, and I wanted to improve the recipe slightly. I wanted a nuttier-tasting cookie because I thought it would pair better with the rose flavor, so I added a little bit of almond flour and some almond extract. This is just enough almond flour that I didn’t need eggs to bind the cookies, which is a real blessing when eggs currently are scarce—and expensive! I also added pistachios because roses and pistachios are notoriously good together. I’m happy to report that my tweaks worked—these are delicious and flavorful!
Lastly, instead of icing, I dipped half of each cookie in chocolate—perfect for Valentine’s Day. This is a half shortbread recipe because two people are in this household—we don’t need a lot. This made 30 small cookies using an inch-and-a-half heart-shaped cutter, which is quite a lot for two people. But do feel free to double it up if you should need or want more.
Pistachio Rose Petal Shortbread
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick)butter
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1-½ Tbsp dried culinary rose petals
- ½ tsp salt
- 1-¼ cups all-purpose or pastry flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup pistachios, finely chopped
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment.
Preheat oven to 350º.
Whisk the flour and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Beat the butter for a few minutes using a hand or stand mixer to soften it. Cream the sugar and rose petals into the butter, then add the egg yolk, vanilla, and rose water and combine. Next, blend in the flour and mix until it just holds together. Knead the dough a few times, then transfer it to a counter covered with a large piece of lightly flour-sprinkled parchment. Place another piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll it to about ¼ inch. If the dough seems too soft, place it into the fridge for a few minutes to stiffen it up—the cookies are easier to cut that way.
Cut or slice the dough into shapes using heart-shaped cookie cutters, then place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the dough as often as needed, refrigerating if necessary until it’s all used.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are very lightly browned.
Cool the shortbread completely, dip in white chocolate if desired, and sprinkle on a pinch of culinary rose petals. You can also use ruby chocolate to make the cookies more colorful!
Makes about 30 cookies—store them in an airtight container.
To Dip in Chocolate
- 3 oz white baking or ruby chocolate
- Edible rose petals (optional)
In a heat-proof cup, break the chocolate into pieces over a pan, then set the pan over another pan of boiling water, ensuring no water gets into the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is smooth. You can also melt it in the microwave at 50% power for a minute and a half. Remove and stir. Repeat the process of heating and stirring for another 30 seconds, if necessary, until the lumps are gone and the chocolate is completely melted.
Spoon some chocolate on one side of each cookie, spread it, and sprinkle with a pinch of the edible rose petals. You can grind the rose petals in a spice grinder or food chopper if you’d like smaller pieces. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
