Cherry Rose Agave Ice Cream

It is STILL 100 degrees outside and this time cherries are on sale. The freezer is once again in dire need of homemade ice cream.. so I'm on it!

I decided to use the same basic eggless recipe as I did with the Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream. It involves a lot less time near a hot stove on a scorching day and is overall easier than the custard method.

Deep red bing cherries create a lovely rose color ice cream, which inspired me this time to add rose as a flavoring. Another change is the use of agave nectar as the sweetener. Honey is lovely but has a very distinct flavor of its own and I wasn't wanting its strong presence. Agave is a far more inert sweetener and my goal was to bring out the full bang of the Bing Cherries and June Rose (sounds like a couple of 1940's Hollywood starlets ;)

1 & 1/2 Cup Bing Cherries, pitted and rinsed
1/2 Cup Organic Genuine Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Rose Hydrosol a.k.a Rosewater
6-8 Drops of cane alcohol based Vanilla Absolute
3 Cups Half-and-Half

In a medium size heavy bottom saucepan, bring cherries, agave, and half of the Rosewater to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 2-3 minutes while stirring until the cherries soften slightly and begin to bleed their color into the syrup. Remove from heat. Blend with a stick blender until pureed. Using a sieve, strain into a bowl, pressing the cherry skins to release all the liquid. Refrigerate for several minutes until lightly chilled. Add the drops of Vanilla Absolute, then stir in the half-and-half and the remaining Rosewater . Pour mixture into an ice cream maker (1 1/2-qt. or larger capacity). Freeze according to manufacturer's directions until firm enough to scoop. Enjoy!

Note - The mashed cherry skins can either be added back to the ice cream mixture before freezing for additional flavor and texture or can be left aside, placed on waxed paper, flattened and dried to make fruit leather :)

Cooking with Romantic Roses, A Valentine Treat

I found this archived article written by me quite some time ago for Aromatic Sage Magazine. Happy Valentine's Day!

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In the Kitchen with Chris Ziegler
Cooking with Romantic Roses, A Valentine Treat

Welcome to AFS and the monthly column dedicated to the enjoyment of oils and aromatherapy in the kitchen.

Being that Valentine's Day is right around the corner it seems only appropriate to start of the first issue with the Romantic Rose.

The Rose has always been a flower associated with love. The intoxicating scent of roses (and rose oil) has worked its magic on men and women for thousands of years and still continues to do so today.

Roses were so popular during Roman times, that Horace wrote he was concerned that the farmers would dedicate too much time to their rose cultivation and neglect their olive groves.

The Romans used the petals in cooking, especially desserts such as puddings and sherbets. They even used roses to flavor wines.

The cultures influenced by the Romans also took up art of cooking with roses. To this day, tasty rose flavored treats abound in countries such as Turkey, and the ingredient "rosewater" is an essential part of some Middle Eastern dishes.

According to lore, a small number of wandering tribes of mystics in India were said to sustain themselves solely on roses, refusing all other foods except the "Queen of Flowers".

Roses from the garden can be used to create lovely dishes such as rose petal jam and jelly, rose petal omelets, candied rose petals, and more.

If you grow the old fashioned varieties you get an additional treat of rose hips at the end of the season to make goodies such as rose hip jelly and rose hip syrup.

When cooking with rose petals, NEVER use commercial roses that have been sprayed with pesticides.

When using rosewater for cooking be sure you are getting genuine, un- adulterated rose hydrosol from the stills, not rose-flavored distilled water.

Lastly, when cooking with rose oil be sure to use only unadulterated Rose Otto oil, which is hydro-steam distilled, do NOT use Rose Absolute, which is solvent extracted.

Recipes:
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Turkish Princess Rose Cake
Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

Into a mixing bowl, combine:
1½ cups cake flour,
2 tsp. baking powder,
2 Tbsp. finely ground almonds
½ cup Rose Otto Sugar (recipe follows)
2 Tbs. Rose Syrup (recipe follows)
¾ cup + 1 Tbsp. milk,
5 Tbs. Unsalted butter,
1 egg,
1½ tsp. vanilla extract,
Pinch of salt.
Another 2 Tbsp. Rose Syrup

Blend all ingredients, except additional 2 Tbsp rose syrup. Mix about 4 minutes at medium speed with electric mixer. Turn into 2 - 8" lightly buttered and floured round cake pans. Bake in oven (375°F) until a toothpick, when inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean - about 25 - 30 minutes. Let cool ten minutes before removing from the pan.

Remove from pans, place cakes on a rack, and let completely cool. Spread 2 Tbsp. Rose Syrup on top of the bottom cake layer. Then frost with Rose-Almond Frosting (recipe follows).
Place top cake layer atop frosted lower layer.
Complete frosting top and sides of the cake.
Garnish with fresh and candied rose petals (optional).

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Rose-Almond Frosting

8 Tbs. Unsalted Butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Rose Syrup
1 Tbsp. finely ground almonds
4½ cups (1 box) powdered sugar
Rose hydrosol (have a few tablespoons handy)

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and vanilla extract, until the butter is softened. Add 2 Tbsp. Rose Syrup and continue to beat until mixture is fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar, blending on a slow speed at first to combine ingredients. Add Rose hydrosol, a tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches proper consistency.
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Rose Otto Sugar

1-2 cups sugar
2 drops of Rose Otto
Blend well in a food processor.
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Rose Syrup (Easy)

4 heaping Tbsp. Rose Petal Jam
2 Tbsp. Water
Combine jam and water in a small pan. Warm slightly over low heat while stirring.
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Asure (Turkish Wheat Pudding)
This is one of the oldest and most traditional deserts in Turkish cuisine. Legend says "When the Flood finally subsided and Noah's Arc
settled on Mount Ararat in Agri, those on the vessel wanted to hold a celebration as an expression of the gratitude they felt towards God, but alas, the food storages of the ship were practically empty.

So they made a soup with all the remaining ingredients they could find and thus ended up with 'Asure'.

Following that legend, today Asure is prepared by cooking together at least fifteen ingredients which vary slightly by region.

For example, in the Çorum region, known as "Pekmezli Hedik" molasses is used and replaces sugar. In Gaziantep anise is added to that version.

Servings: 10 Ingredients:

Dövme (dehusked wheat for Asure) 1 cup (180 grams ) Chickpeas 1/3 cup (60 grams)
Dry white beans 1/3 cup (60 grams)
Rice 2 tablespoons (15 grams)
Water 12 ½ cups (2.5 kg)
Dried apricots 10 (60 grams)
Dried figs 5 (125 grams)
Raisins (seedless) ½ cup (50 grams)
Orange 1 small size 1(20 grams)
Sugar 1 2/3 cups (300 grams)
Rose water 2-4Tbsp (20-40 grams)
Walnuts (not crushed) 2/3 cup (65 grams)
Pomegranate ½ small size (50 grams)

Preparation :
Rinse the wheat, chickpeas and dried beans.
Soak beans and chickpeas, separately, each in 1 cup of water, overnight.

Soak the Dövme and rice together in 2 cups of water, overnight.

Add 3 cups of water to the Dövme and 2 cups of water each to chick peas and beans and place them individually on the burner.

Cook the Dövme until the grains are dissolved and the starch comes out. If necessary boil the
chickpeas in a pressure cooker. Rinse dried fruit and soak them for 2 hours in 1 ½ cups of water.

Mix the cooked ingredients and the dry fruit in a pan and cook for 15 minutes. Peel the orange and cut the rind, including the white inner part into 3-4 cm long and 1 cm wide strips. Divide the orange slices into 4-5 pieces. Add them to the mixture altogether and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the sugar and cook for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat.

Add the rosewater and stir. Pour into dessert cups. Garnish with walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
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For more information of the history and production of rose oil and rose hydrosol, visit
"Rosa Damascena - Anatolian Rose Production" by Butch Owen
http://www.av-at.com/distillation/ rosadamascena1.html

Step by step instructions on how to make rose petal jam
http://www.av-at.com/stuff/rosejam.html

Chris has been both cooking and working with Essential Oils now for over 14 yrs. She has completed Certificate Training courses in Herbology and Clinical Aromatherapy. She is the owner of A Little Ol'Factory http://www.alittleolfactory.com , a small company based in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where she makes soap and other all natural toiletries.

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Days of Barbecued Peach Pie & Cobbler

Here is an old blog post I found that was never published! And yes, once again, tis the season to have pumpkin chai spice soap curing! :)

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Summer is officially unofficially over. Labor day weekend, that age old line of demarcation signifying that yet another summer has come to an end and wearing of white has passed with it (which doesn't really affect me since I personally rarely wear white any time of the year).

This holiday weekend I was blessed with a wonderful deal on organic peaches that needed to be used immediately (there was a reason they were such a great deal). One could not ask for more juicy sweet peaches to make pie and cobbler with - but my oven died upon arriving home from my holiday away with family (the new oven arrives Saturday - Yay!).

Well I really wanted that pie and cobbler, but the oven broke, so I decided to make them on the barbecue (I'll have to find the photo). They came out so well that I've gained 6 lbs (add that to the weight I gained on holiday with mom feeding me - Oi!). They were the best barbecued pastries I've ever had.

With that note marking the end of my summer, I say its time to get ready for the holidays, darlings! Today I'm making my annual batch of our most popular seasonal favorite - Organic Pumpkin Chai Spice Soap which should be ready to go for the true arrival of Autumn! :)

Snow Rose Iced Sugar Cookies

Snow Rose Cookie Icing:

2 C. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. alba white rose hydrosol

Stirring slowly blend the liquid ingredients into the sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Adjust by adding more liquid to make a thinner icing for piping and reduce amount of liquid to make a thicker icing for spreading.

I highly suggest Alton Brown's recipe for a wonderful sugar cookie made just for icing.

Limited offer - Enjoy free domestic shipping on alba rose hydrosol. Click here to view web site for details.

Rose Petal Jam

When I first introduced my husband to rose petal jam while we were dating, he was quite skeptical about trying it. Now he can't live without a jar of it in the house at all times. My sons are just as adoring of it. It has become a staple on our breakfast table, just as it is in the Mediterranean region.

It tastes and smells like Rose Otto, as it is made from petals gathered in the same fields of damascena roses that give us that lovely and precious essential oil of rose and the perfumery oil called Rose Absolute.

Served spread on pancakes, toast, waffles or muffins, rose petal jam is absolutely delicious! It can also be used in making syrup, cookies, cakes, pastries, bakery goods, candies and even savory marinades and sauces. You are limited only by your own epicurean imagination.

We carry varieties from both Turkey and Bulgaria, just like our rose oils and rose hydrosols. They are each an equally luscious treat.

Click here to order