ENGLISH ROSE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

WITH ROSÉ GLAZE & EDIBLE FLOWERS

I made these gorgeous little cookies this week for Mother’s Day Brunch to celebrate the one and only Lisa Vanderpump! They’re delicious, easy to make and absolutely stunning! The shortbread is crumbly and buttery, the rose sugar adds a delicate floral undertone and a subtle rosy hue, the Rosé glaze is sweet and tangy, and the flowers are beautiful!

I love edible flowers from Fresh Origins (we use them in all of our restaurants and the quality is amazing!) but you can also use homegrown flowers or ones you can find online – just do your research and be sure that they are flowers that are safe to eat (some are toxic!), are organically grown, not from high traveled areas or garden centers, and haven’t been treated with any chemicals. Also make sure to wash them, and don’t eat them if you have a history of allergies, asthma or hayfever!

INGREDIENTS

For the Rose Sugar: 

3 tbsp dried pink edible rose petals

2 tbsp sugar

Pulse in a food processor until fine and combined

For the Rosé Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered/confectioner’s sugar

2 tbsp Vanderpump Rosé

Whisk together until smooth with no lumps

For the Cookies: 

1 cup salted butter (quite soft at room temperature) 

¼ cup Sugar

¼ cup Rose Sugar

2 cups all purpose-flour

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Edible rose petals and pansies to garnish

PREPARATION

1.     In a large bowl or food processor, combine the sugars and soft butter and pulse until combined. 

2.     Add the flour and vanilla, and pulse to combine – the dough should come together into a lumpy mound. Remove, and place onto a floured board or surface – knead for a few seconds until it becomes a smooth disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until it’s firm. 

3.     Remove the stems from the flowers and place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and top with a heavy book. Let sit for about 30 mins to press the flowers. 

4.     Preheat the oven to 325°F

5.     When the dough is chilled, roll it out into the thickness you desire – I do about ¼ inch. Use a cookie cutter (or something similar) to cut out rounds. Re knead the rest of the dough and roll out again, repeating until all dough is used. 

6.     Grease a cookie sheet with butter. 

7.     Lay out the cookies on the sheet - they won’t expand much but leave an inch between each cookie. Bake one tray at a time. 

8.     Bake for 11 minutes. They won’t be brown, and will remain soft, but remove them as they will continue to cook when out of the oven. 

9.     Let cool on the baking tray for a few minutes then move to a rack. 

10.  Once cool, use a small brush (or your clean fingers are sometimes easier!) to coat the top of each cookie with rosé glaze, press a flower into the middle and then brush with a little bit more glaze until the flower is flat and adheres to the cookie. 

11.  Sprinkle the entire top of the cookie with Rose sugar. 

12.  Let the glaze dry, securing the gorgeous additions!

13.  Enjoy!