You can add some to whipped cream to use as a cake filling, or to add a new dimension to the cream if served with a fruit salad, for instance. Rosewater cream is good served with a rose jam (or similar) and served with scones.

Rice with Almonds and Dates
1 cup cooked rice
60g butter
60g almonds, blanched and halved
8 fresh dates, stoned (dried ones will do, if plump)
60g sultanas
1 teaspoon rosewater, optional

While the rice is standing, after cooking, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the almonds, stirring until they turn golden. Add the dates and sultanas, and cook, stirring, for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the rosewater, if used. Pile the rice on a dish and arrange the mixture on top of it.

Almond Cake
500g almonds, blanched in cold water
rose water
250g sugar
6 egg whites

Crush the almonds very fine, adding a little rosewater to prevent them from oiling. Place almonds onto a dish and mix in the sugar, using the back of a spoon to make a paste. Heat in the oven until hot. Remove from oven and allow to get cold. Beat the egg whites until frothy, combine well with the almond mixture. Form into a cake shape, and bake on an oiled oven tray until nicely coloured.

Moroccan Peaches
Peel fresh peaches, sprinkle them with sugar and rosewater and refrigerate for a few hours. Before serving, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and garnish with mint leaves. Alternatively, after refrigerating, sprinkle with coarsely chopped pistachio nuts and pale pink rose petals. Serve with whipped cream.

Peach Curd
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup fresh peach puree
lemon juice to taste, about 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon rosewater
6 tablespoons butter

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, peach puree, lemon juice, and rosewater. Place over simmering water and stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and beat in butter, bit by bit. Strain well and chill.

Rhubarb Syrup
500g rhubarb
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons rosewater

Remove strings from rhubarb, wash, and cut into 1cm pieces. Wrap rhubarb in cheesecloth and tie shut. Bring sugar and water to the boil. Put cheesecloth in the syrup and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes or until it thickens. Remove cheesecloth, squeeze it to get the juice out. Pour syrup into a clean, dry bottle and cork tightly. To mix add 1 part syrup to 3 parts water and add 2 ice cubes per person. Serve well chilled.

Rose Mousse
8 tablespoons rosewater
4 teaspoons gelatine
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups heavy cream
frosted miniature roses or rose petals to decorate

Sprinkle the gelatine over the rosewater and leave for 15 minutes until gelatine is spongy. Stand the bowl in hot water and stir until gelatine has dissolved completely. Place the egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in the top of a double boiler over hot water and beat until thick and pale. Remove from heat and beat until cooled slightly, then stir in the gelatine mixture. A little red food colouring may be stirred in if liked. Whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks, then fold it into the mousse mixture. Whisk the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks, and fold into the mousse. Pour the mixture into 6 glasses or glass dishes and chill for several hours. Serve the mousse with frosted roses or rose petals in a stemmed glass.

Rose Petal Drop Scones
2 1/4 cups unbleached plain flour
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsalted pistachio nuts, coarsely ground
1 cup thickened cream
1 tablespoon rose water
2-4 tablespoons rose petals, finely shredded

Preheat oven to 220C. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly. Stir in the pistachios. Combine the cream and the rose water. Stir in the shredded rose petals. Add the cream-rose mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until a soft dough forms. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen.

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon rose petal jam
2 teaspoons rosewater

Combine the icing sugar, rosewater, and the jam. Whisk until smooth. Add another teaspoon of rose water if the icing is too thick. Drizzle over warm scones. Arrange on a platter and garnish with fresh roses. Sprinkle with shredded beach rose petals.

Dried Fruit Salad
500g dried apricots
250g prunes
120g raisins
120g blanched almonds
60g pistachio or pine nuts
120g dried figs (optional)
120g dried peaches (optional)
125-250g sugar (optional, and to taste)
1 tablespoon rosewater
1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Wash the fruits and put them into a large bowl. Mix with the nuts and cover with water. Add sugar to taste (if using) and sprinkle with rosewater and orange blossom water. Stir to combine. Leave to soak for 48 hours, or as long as 3-4 days if desired.

Pears in Rosewater
For 2 people, peel, halve and core one pear. Poach over medium heat in 3/4 cup rosewater, 1 tablespoon rose sugar and juice of half a lemon until pear is tender, 5-10 minutes. Chill thoroughly in a clean container. Serve on a lettuce leaf, with some of the rosewater spooned over. Garnish with rose petals. Serve with thin slices of prosciutto and gouda cheese.

Shrewsbury Cakes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons rosewater
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the rosewater and blend thoroughly. Sift together 2 cups of the flour, nutmeg, and salt and stir into the butter until the dough holds together. With your hands, gently knead in enough of the additional flour to make a smooth ball of soft dough. Roll out on a floured board to the thickness of 5mm. Cut large rounds with a glass or cookie cutter. Place on a greased sheet and bake at 150C for about. 15 minutes, or just until done; they must be white, not brown. Remove to a rack to cool. Makes 20-25 cakes.

You can't miss out on a Turkish Delight recipe!
http://thefoody.com/sweets/turkishdelight.html

Look in the desserts section at this site:
http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/F.Mokhtarian/recipes/

Rosewater isn't just for eating, either! It's used in a lot of cosmetic recipes and remedies:

BAGS UNDER EYES:
Soak pieces of soft cloth or cotton wool in lukewarm chamomile tea or rosewater and place over the eyes for 15 minutes. Rinse gently with lukewarm water.

COLD CREAM
1/2 cup olive oil
60g beeswax
1/2 cup rosewater
3 drops rose oil (optional)
contents of 1-2 Vitamin E capsules (optional0

Gently heat the beeswax until melted. Add rosewater and oil, beat until thick and creamy, add rose oil. Store in an airtight jar. Apply to the face and neck at night. The Vitamin E will help fight wrinkles and scars.

GLYCERINE AND ROSEWATER CLEANSING CREAM
4 tablespoons lanolin
60ml almond oil
1 tablespoon glycerine
1/8 teaspoon borax
3 tablespoons rosewater
1 teaspoon zinc oxide ointment
essential oil of rose

Melt the lanolin and gently heat the almond oil and glycerine together. Slowly pour the oil and glycerine mixture into the lanolin, beating constantly. Dissolve the borax in the warmed rosewater and add gradually to the lanolin and oil mixture, beating all the time. Leave to cool. When cool and creamy, beat in the zinc oxide and rose oil. Spoon into jars and label. Any herbal infusion can be substituted for the rosewater. Suitable for dry and normal skin.

GARDENER’S HAND CLEANER
Mix together 1 part lemon juice, 1 part glycerine and 1 part rosewater. Rub over hands to smooth and clean.

BREATH FRESHENERS:
Gargle and rinse with undiluted rosewater

ROSE BODY LOTION
125 ml rosewater
100 ml glycerine
40 ml jojoba oil
4-8 drops rose oil

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together, beating until the mixture emulsifies. Store in a tightly sealed glass bottle in a dark, cool place. Both the rose water and essential oil of rose can be replaced with lavender. To make lavender water steep 2 teaspoons of dried lavender flowers in a ceramic bowl containing 300 ml of boiling water. Cover, leave until cold, then strain through fine muslin.

Jen

ALMOND ROSE WATER DRINK (Schraab el’Loz) – 4 servings

3/4 cup blanched whole almonds
2 1/2 cups ice water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. rose water
20 ice cubes

In a food processor, grind the almonds until very fine. Transfer the almonds to a blender, add 1 cup of the ice water and process until frothy.

Spread a large piece of doubled cheesecloth over the top of a large bowl and pour the almond mixture into the center of the cloth. Gather the sides of the cloth together to form a bag and gently squeeze the bottom in order to extract the "milk" of the almonds. When most of the liquid from the almonds has been extracted, open the bag and pour in ½ cup more of the ice water over the almonds and squeeze for another 5 minutes. Once the almonds have lost all their taste, discard them along with the cheesecloth.

Transfer the almond "milk" to a small saucepan. Add the sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat until the liquid is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the rose water. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours. (You may freeze the almond syrup in a covered jar at this point. When ready to serve, defrost completely and continue with next step of recipe.)

When ready to serve, place the remaining 1 cup ice water, almond syrup, and ice cubes in a blender and mix on high speed until frothy like a slushy drink (add ice cubes 2 to 3 at a time, tasting as you go so as not to dilute the drink too much). Serve in tall glasses or champagne flutes.

Mhallabiyyi

1 cup cream of rice
7 cup skim milk
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rose water

Combine cream of rice, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture starts to thicken. Lower heat, and allow mixture to simmer until it attains the consistency of a cream filling.
Add rose water, turn heat up. Bring to a fast boil, and remove from heat immediately. Pour into bowl or individual serving bowls. Serve warm or cold. If desired, drizzle with honey and garnish with pistachios.
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/worldmideast/mideast57.html

NAMMOURA

(Arabian)
A traditional sweet treat that everyone enjoys, especially kids.

14 oz. cream of wheat
1/4 lb. butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 C. whole milk
3/4 C. granulated sugar
16 whole raw shelled almonds
3 C. cold Atter (syrup)

Mix well all ingredients except almonds. Pour into a 13 x 9-inch pan. Top with almonds (1 per serving, on center). Bake at 350ºF for 20 to 30 minutes until golden. Pour atter syrup over namoura immediately. Yields 1 tray.
NOTE: It is important to keep namoura covered to prevent dryness.
I found this recipe at http://www.recipegoldmine.com/

Atter (Syrup) recipe

This is the standard holy syrup that Arabs pour over most things sweet. This syrup is used for a number of Middle Eastern pastries and treats. It will keep for a very long time stored covered in the refrigerator.

3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon rose water or orange blossom water

Dissolve sugar in water. Add lemon juice, bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until syrup slightly thickens (about 10 minutes). Add rose water towards end of cooking time. Let stand to cool. Yields 3 cups.
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/worldmideast/mideast80.html

Orange Water or Rose Water Icing

1/2 cup unsalted butter
About 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons orange or rose flower water
Soften butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave oven on half power for 30 to 40 seconds, but do not let it melt. Put melted butter and confectioners' sugar in the food processor with the steel chopping blade in place. Whirl and then add the flower water. Whirl to make a creamy mixture, adding more sugar or flavoring as the case may be.
Spoon onto the top of a nearly cool Bundt cake and then garnish with flowers, candies or snipped dried fruits.

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/cakefrost/cakefrost96.html

Sharbatee Gulab

Posted by CookinMom at recipegoldmine.com May 19, 2001
Source: Aurora Lights Circle
This drink is from India and June is an excellent time to make it since the roses will be in bloom.

5 large fragrant roses in full bloom
2 quarts cold water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups crushed pineapple, fresh or canned
Finely crushed ice
Extra rose petals

Choose only roses not sprayed with pesticides. Wash the roses and shake off the excess water. Carefully take off the petals and put them in a large bowl. Pour the cold water over them and let stand in a dark, but not refrigerated, place for about four hours.
Strain out the petals, saving the water. Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice and add this to the rose water. Stir in the pineapple. When ready to serve, pour over crushed ice and top with a rose petal in each glass.
Serves six to eight.
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/worldindian/indian125.html

Fresh Fruit with Rose Water Syrup
Source: Bon Appétit January 1999

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon rose water
4 oranges
2 cups red grapes, halved
1 (1 pint) basket strawberries, halved
1 pear, cored, sliced

Stir 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Add cinnamon; boil until syrup is reduced to scant 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Mix in rose water; cool.
Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Working over large bowl, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Add grapes, berries and pear; toss to combine. Mix in syrup. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Spoon fruit and syrup into 6 bowls.
Serves 6.
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/fruit/fruit114.htm

We went to a Persian Bat Mitzvah party this Saturday night. Tons of food. What stood out for me was one of the desserts - a few of us were standing around and couldn't stop eating it. Sounds great for summer, and it looks easy enough! Ours had no garnish, except for lime quarters to squeeze over.

Faludeh Shirazi (frozen Persian dessert) - available wherever there are Persian stores, frozen in pints or quarts, and served at every Persian party. A wonderful,
non-dairy, frozen dessert that is great in the summer after a barbecue!

This is from Batmanglij "New Food of Life," and is nice for parties.

For the frozen part:

1/2 pound thin rice noodles or Chinese rice sticks, broken into 2-inch or smaller pieces.
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons rose water

For the garnish:

2 tablespoons slivered pistachios
2 tablespoons sour cherries
1/4 cup light sour cherry syrup
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed LIME (not lemon) juice.

1. in a pot, bring 8 cups of water to boil.

2. add rice noodles, boil for 1 minute. Drain, run cold water over and set aside.

3. Put sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Remove pan from heat immediately. Add rose water and allow to cool.

4. Mix half the noodles and the syrup and pour into freezing trays. Freeze 2-3 hours until almost frozen. Break up mixture with a fork, add the rest of the noodles, stir lightly with fork and return trays to freezer for 8 hours (overnight) until solid.

5. My note: it can be eaten just like this. In Iran, one would serve it with lime juice or "arrack." For a party, use the following:

Either put it all into large bowl or individual bowls, garnish with pistachios, sour cherries and drizzle the sour cherry syrup/lime juice over the top.

Rose Petal Flan Recipe
Filed under Dessert, Mexican, Wheat-free
Have you ever encountered a stubborn teenager who outright refuses to eat something new, in spite of everyone telling her how good it is? At some point you just give up and say, "oh have it your way, all the more for the rest of us." I was that stubborn teenager one summer in Mexico City, surrounded by my host family pleading with me to try this weird looking dish that they had translated as "burnt milk". I'm forever grateful my friend's mother Señora Argüelles didn't give up on me that day. After finally submitting to one bite, I ate all that remained in the pot. Ever since that day flan is one dessert that I simply cannot refuse.
This recipe makes a fabulous flan, giving you the scent of roses with every bite. (Perfect for Valentine's Day, don't you think?) The recipe is adapted from the cookbook Doña Tomàs: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking from the Doña Tomas restaurant in Oakland, California.
Topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp water
Custard
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rose water*
Special items needed
4 6-ounce ramekins
*Rose water can be found in Mediterranean markets and also Whole Foods in the baking department. According to the Doña Tomàs book you can also make your own by boiling a cup of rose petals (fresh from a garden, not store-bought, no pesticides, no fungicides) in a cup of water with a tablespoon of honey, for 10 minutes. Let steep overnight and then strain. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.


1 Have your ramekins ready, near the stove. When you pour out the caramelized sugar you will want to work fast. Place the sugar and water in a small, thick-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat. As the sugar beings to melt, gently stir with a wooden spoon to break up unmelted lumps. Once the sugar has melted it will begin to turn golden and then darker brown. As soon as it turns a strong shade of reddish brown, remove the pan from the heat, working quickly, evenly divide the sugar between the ramekins, coating the bottom of each ramekin. Place the ramekins in a 2-inch deep baking dish.
2 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, on medium high heat, mix sugar and milk until the milk is warm to the touch and the sugar has completely dissolved (about 120°F). Do not let the milk boil. Remove from heat. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and rose water. Temper the egg mixture with a little (about 1/4 cup) of the warm milk mixture, whisking as you add the milk. Add the egg mixture back into the pan of milk. Lower the heat to low and whisk the egg mixture in for a minute until the egg mixture is fully incorporated.

3 Pour custard mixture into the ramekins, up to about 1/4-inch from the top edge of the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
4 Bake on the middle rack until centers of flans are gently set, about 45 minutes. Transfer flans to rack and cool. Chill until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead.)
5 To serve, run small sharp knife around flan to loosen. Turn over onto plate. Shake gently to release flan. Carefully lift off ramekin allowing caramel syrup to run over flan. Repeat with remaining flans and serve. If you have refrigerated the flan over night and the flan won't easily release, you can heat it in the microwave for a few seconds (10-15) to loosen it.

Serves 4.
Recipe adapted from the Flan de Rosas recipe in Doña Tomàs: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking

Michelle