Rose Scented Shortbread
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This Rose Scented Shortbread has a delicate floral scent that’s perfect with a cup of tea. I first made these delicious cookies for a wedding.
It wasn’t the first marriage for either the bride or groom. In fact, both of them are in their 80s. At 82, my mom is got re-married after being widowed for over 3 years. She’s married an “older” gentleman of 85. But you’d never guess by looking at either of them. Mom is planning on retiring from her full-time job as a psychologist, and will finally “settle down”. But, I suspect neither one will sitting back and knitting or whittling though. (As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)
It was a simple gathering of immediate family. We celebrated with a luncheon and homemade cake by the bride. I wanted to make a little something to place at each place setting, so I decided on rose scented shortbread, with just a hint of floral overtones. Shortbread is my favorite cookie of all time.
Unpretentious, shortbread has to be the perfect cookie in its simplicity of ingredients. Just flour, butter and sugar come together to make melt-in-your-mouth crumbly perfection. Add just one more ingredient, say an egg, and you no longer have shortbread. Because there are only a few ingredients, this is the time to splurge on the very best butter you can afford. You’ll taste the difference!
Because I love shortbread so much, I’ve gotten wild and crazy with it, and added Lavender, switched the sugar, and made Brown Sugar Walnut Shortbread. And I’ve even taken it the savory direction, and made Rosemary Cheddar Shortbread, which is the perfect nibble for a cocktail party. Don’t be frightened away by the “rose”. This shortbread is delicate in both texture and flavor.
Baking with Rose Petals
Culinary rose petals add just a hint of color and texture and rose water just a slight floral overtone without over-powering the cookie. They’re also delicious in these meringues as one of the components of Eton Mess.
I used a heart-shaped cutter, but you can also cut it into the more traditional rectangles as well. I made a few changes to my original shortbread recipe, which also has step-by-step photos.
Make sure you purchase culinary rose petals which are safe for consumption. I purchased mine at Cost Plus World Market, but you can also find them here, as well as the rose water.
Rose Scented Shortbread make a gift
A sweet gift for a bridal or baby shower or wedding. I put one cookie in a cellophane bag tied with pale pink ribbon. If you’re looking for more rose scented desserts, these gorgeous Raspberry Macarons with rose water would be a lovely addition to a bridal or baby shower dessert tray.
Rose Scented Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon rosewater
- 2 Tablespoons culinary rose petals finely chopped
- Additional sugar and rose petals to sprinkle over the cookies after baking.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Cream butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add sugar and rose water, and rose petals, scraping down sides.
- Mix flour and salt together. Add flour all at once, and mix just until incorporated. Do not over-mix.
- Using your hands, pat into a cookie sheet, or use a rolling pin and roll to about 1/2" thick. If using a cookie cutter, chill dough about 30 minutes, until firm, so it will hold its shape.
- Cut out shapes and place on cookie sheet. Chill again until firm.
- Bake at 300 degrees F. for about 20-25 minutes, until pale and barely golden. Check at 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with rose sugar if desired. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- To make rose sugar, put 2 Tablespoons sugar in food processor with 2 teaspoons rose petals. Pulse until petals are finely chopped.
- Store shortbread in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
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These are stunnnnning. And congratulations to your mom! These cookies reminded me of when I was first cooking for friends, before I officially catered, and for my girlfriend’s wedding I made rose cookies with a sugar cookie refrigerator type dough. But the rose leaves were rolled into the dough log, so when the cookies were cut you could see the rose petals. They were so pretty! I love your rose and sugar combo, tho.
Thank you Mimi! These cookies have petals in them too! They’re fun!
What a gorgeous idea to add these beautiful rose hearts as place settings, Cynthia. They sound absolutely delicious. Congratulations to you Mum! And good on her for “settling down” finally after her job. She sounds so full of life!
Thank you Jill! It was a fun day!
Best wishes to your mother and her new husband! I hope it was a lovely day for everyone! These shortbread are a perfect touch, and I can imagine how good they must taste! Can’t wait to see some pics!
Thank you Christina!
Congratulations to your mom! These rose scented shortbread look so delicious! I’m sure everyone will love them!
These are so beautiful, and what a lovely touch with the rose petals! How romantic! Congratulations to your mom!
Thank you Patricia!
Looks lovely. When do you add the rose water?
Hi Marilyn! Thanks for catching that…with the sugar and butter. Recipe has been amended!
What a darling cookie for such a special day! Congrats to your mom!
Thank you!
That sounds divine! Loving the rose scent flavor in here. How creative!
Thank you Megan!
Perfect for weddings and showers!
yes!
These are my new favorite. A perfect combo of sweet, salty, and floral. I did do the rose sugar on top and they are very pretty. So happy I found this recipe!
Thank you! they are so fun aren’t they! Perfect for a sweet tea party!
What size cookie cutter did you use?
It was about 2 inches by 2 1/2″. You can use any size cookie cutter…just bear in mind the thickness of the dough. The thicker the dough, the longer you’ll need to bake it. I judge by the edges.
Thank you! I will definitely make them. They look so pretty.
thank you! Did you see the link for the rose petals?
I suppose you could reduce it a little bit, but salt is important in any baked good as it balances the sweet and actually makes it sweeter. I haven’t heard anyone say that they were “caramel” tasting! I’m surprised as they are a delicately floral cookie. I do have a brown butter shortbread cookie that’s dipped in caramel too!
Wow! These not only look amazing but I bet they were SO good! Great idea!
Hi I love this recipe however found it to salty. 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt is what it says and I double checked thinking it was me misreading. I ended up have to make another half batch and mix the two together to cut down on the salt. Is it suppose to be 1/4 teaspoon not 1 1/4?
All in all wonderful simple recipe!
I am so sorry! You are correct. I must have doubled the amount. It should be 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. But please make sure you are only using kosher salt as table salt is too salty.
Thank you for bringing the error to my attention.