Honey, my Rosebuds!

Following a short stay in Paris, which allowed me to see a handful of friends over a glass of tea and cake, I realized with great pleasure that almost everyone came on this blog. Comments are not indicative of the passage, but they are now accessible to all, no need to register. So go ahead! Among those with whom I spent some time was Charlotte, who asked me right away if I was cooking with flowers. After a moment's reflection, I realized I never had. A plan was immediately built in my head : I'd be working on a recipe as soon as I got back and would send it to her.

Here is the first creation of Alphabaked!, a project still in development but that will hopefully connect virtual delicacies with crunchy Epicureanism.

Ingredients for fifty Rosebuds :

for the biscuit :

100g sugar

110g flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoons rose water

for the royal icing :

1 small egg

150g icing sugar

1 tablespoon rose water

First, the dough has to be prepared the day before. Beat the egg and sugar a few minutes in a bowl until a nice fluffy cream. Sift flour and pour it like rain in the bowl, while mixing with a spatula. The dough should be fairly soft but not fluid so it won't spread on the plate.

Create, using a pastry bag - or a freezer bag on which you cut a corner - small balls about 2cm in diameter on a plate covered with greaseproof paper. Place the plate (or rather the multiple plates!) at room temperature for one day.

The next day, preheat your oven to 170°C and cook for 10 short minutes. The best thing is to monitor, they are cooked when the edges are colored honey. Let cool.

Prepare now the royal icing :

Pour all ingredients into a bowl and whisk vigorously for several minutes until a thick cream, between the Italian meringue and melted marshmallow (if you've never tried this, you don't know what you're missing).

Cover the buttons with a first white layer and let it dry a few hours. To make more decorations, play with food colouring by making mini pierced bags with greaseproof paper you'll use as brushes. Leave to dry again a few hours, and here we go! Enjoy!

Detail from John W. Waterhouse's painting, Gathering Rosebuds, 1909.