1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon rose water
Method:
In large mixer bowl cream butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl often.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and rose water, beating at low speed until blended.
Divide dough into thirds and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
On well-floured surface, roll 1/3 of dough at a time until dough is 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with a floured 3 inch cookie cutter. Arrange cookies one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on rack.
Yield: 5 dozen cookies
Michigan Herb Associates Journal Fall of 1996
Category Archives: Cooking
2012 The Year of the Rose
This year we honor the rose as the herb of the year. Perhaps you think of the rose only as a beautiful fragrant flower, but it is much more than that. The definiton of an herb is that it is a plant valued for flavor, scent, medicinal use, and having other qualities. There are many qualities that the rose is known for that characterizes it as an herb.
First, the rose, because of its beauty is the most popular flower purchased on Valentine’s Day. Roses are found in a variety of colors and each color means something different. The red rose signifies immortal love, the yellow joy and mature love, white stands for purity, and pink for innocence. The most popular rose is the red rose.
Secondly, there are many uses of roses. Some of the uses for roses are in lotions and creams, in perfumes and pot pourris, as decorations for cakes and other foods, and also the rose is actually used in cooking. There are many recipes for using rose petals and rose water. Some of the recipes I found use roses in making jellies, syrups, sauces, butters, vinegars, teas, cakes, soups and ice cream. In many Asian and Mideastern and African countries, roses are used to flavor foods much as we use cinnamon and vanilla here in the USA. A popular tea is rose petal tea.
Recipe: Rose Petal Tea Makes one quart
Ingredients:
1/2 cup tightly packed rose petals*
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 orange, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 quart water
Place rose petals, nutmeg, sugar and chopped orange into a pitcher. Pour boiling water over petals and steep for five minutes. Strain. Serve hot or cold. If using pink petals, the tea will have a fine flavor and a nice dark pink color.
*When using roses for food, they should be free of pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Florists’ roses have been sprayed with pesticides and should not be used as food. Many have been imported from third world countries where pesticides and other chemicals are used.
The best roses to use for food are the fragrant, old-fashioned or antique roses such as the Cabbage Rose, Rose Gallica, and Damask Rose.
When using rose petals as food, always cut away the white portion at the base of each rose. This imparts a bitter flavor to foods and beverages.
MVHS Cookbook
We wish to thank everyone who has purchased our cookbook, Herbal Market. Fortunately, we have sold all copies, and the cookbook is no longer available.
Herbal Market Cookbook Sale Price $10.00
Our cookbook, Herbal Market is still available and now it’s on sale! This is a collection of 180 recipes submitted by members and friends of the society. All include herbs in their ingredients. The recipes are placed in a 7X9 inch three ring loose leaf vinyl covered binder. They are arranged in fifteen sections each divided by a title page which lists interesting facts about the specific herb featured in that section, a tip for cooking with herbs and an original drawing of the herb for identification. A nutritional analysis, per serving, is supplied for each recipe. Topics include Starters, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Vegetables and Desserts.
It is designed for entertaining reading and easy use. A great gift for you and others.
The cost of Herbal Market is $10.00 plus tax, $1.16, total $11.16. It can be purchased by mail. Please add $5.00 per book for shipping and handling and address the order to Maumee Valley Herb Society c/o Toledo Botanical Garden, 5403 Elmer Drive, Toledo, Ohio 43615. Checks should be payable to Maumee Valley Herb Society.
Proceeds support the Herb Garden at Toledo Botanical Garden.
Our Herbal Market Cookbook
The new cookbook, Herbal Market, published by the Maumee Valley Herb Society is now available. This is a collection of 180 recipes submitted by members and friends of the society. All include herbs in their ingredients.The recipes are placed in a 7X9 inch three ring loose leaf vinyl covered binder. They are arranged in fifteen sections each divided by a title page which lists interesting facts about the specific herb featured in that section, a tip for cooking with herbs and an original drawing of the herb for identification. A nutritional analysis, per serving, is supplied for each recipe. Topics include Starters, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Vegetables and Desserts.
An additional division features twelve recipes for bath and beauty products developed with the use of herbs.
The book includes an article written to encourage the reader to consider planting an herb garden at, “Your Kitchen Door”. It is designed for entertaining reading and easy use. A great gift for you and others.
The cost of Herbal Market is $15.95 plus tax, $1.16, total $17.11. It can be purchased by mail. Please add $5.00 per book for shipping and handling and address the order to Maumee Valley Herb Society c/o Toledo Botanical Garden, 5403 Elmer Drive, Toledo, Ohio 43615. Checks should be payable to Maumee Valley Herb Society.
Proceeds support the Herb Garden at Toledo Botanical Garden.
A Handful Of Herbs
By Barbara Segall, Louise Pickford and Rosa Hammick – published by Ryland Peters and Small
This book is divided into five sections. The first section, Super Herbs, profiles the authors’ choices of twenty super herbs. Their list includes Basil, Bay, Chamomile, Chervil, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Fennel, Garlic, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Tarragon, and Thyme.
Gardening with Herbs suggests various ways to grow herbs both indoors and out, such as planting herbs among vegetables, making herbal hedges, growing herbs in containers, and other ways to add herbs to your garden.
Living with Herbs discusses making such items as potpourris, sachets, pomanders, and a winter wreath. Herbs are used to provide a pleasant aroma to a log fire, as decorations throughout the home, in making cleaning products, and bath and body products.
Cooking with Herbs includes recipes for vinegars, dressings, oils, butters, appetizers, snacks, entrees, salads, desserts, and beverages.
The A-Z of Herbs discusses more than 70 herbs and tells the height and spread of each, the zones they grow in, and culinary uses for each herb. This book is beautifully illustrated and I believe you will find it a good read.
Written by Marybeth Landis