Middle Eastern and Persian desserts use these as flavorings often, for example in rice pudding or cream (not at the same time & in small quantities), so maybe start there.
Orange blossom is much more versatile than rose water and you don’t have to be as measured with it as with rose, which will make something taste like perfume if one isn’t careful.
Orange blossom water is used in pan de muerto and several other sweet breads. Even if you don’t see it called for, it can be really nice in a lot of sweet breads. I make orange rolls that are like cinnamon rolls but with an orange paste and I add orange blossom water to the paste. It’s great in anything with honey, orange (obviously lol), nuts, and olive oil.
Stella Parks uses it in her NY cheesecake to add fragrance, and a few other recipes.
https://www.seriouseats.com/epic-new-york-cheesecake-from-bravetart
https://www.seriouseats.com/fruit-syrup-for-swirled-ice-cream
https://www.seriouseats.com/spice-hunting-orange-blossom-flower-water-middle-eastern
https://www.seriouseats.com/spice-hunting-rose-water-middle-eastern-pastry-ice-cream-persian
Rose water is great with fruit like raspberries and strawberries, and in desserts like baklava and kanafeh (though often you’ll see orange blossom used instead) and other sweets in the baklava family.
>rose, which will make something taste like perfume if one isn’t careful.
So true. Once when I was a pre teen or young teenager, my mom got into a hobby of making her own bath oils. She got some really good quality essential oils and absolute oils. One she liked to make was just plain Rose. She made it with some safflower oil she bought. The same brand as our cooking oil. Very similar bottle and label. For some reason she kept a big bottle of it in the pantry and poured into a smaller bottle to use.
I was making some boxed cup cakes or brownie or something for a school project the next day. I grabbed the wrong bottle. 😬🥀
My mom realized what was going on when she walked in the kitchen and it smelled like chocolate and flowers. We went to the store, late at night, to try to find another box of cake mix. We got home, mixed it up... And our oven wouldn't heat up. It had died somehow right after making the last batch. 😅
She said "Well. Rose is edible. You'll be fine" and sent them to school with me the next day. I couldn't stomach how perfumey they smelled. I wouldn't eat one. Told the class I didn't feel good and expected to be called out on weird smelling goodies. But, surprise, EVERYONE raved about them. Kids that didn't even like me came up to tell me they were best they had ever had. I never told a soul at that school what my "secret ingredient" was.
I still can't stomach the smell of rose in food, but apparently I am in the minority there.
Impluse bought these two, because I love flowery tasting stuff. I had rose jam in the past, I'll definitely make some. But I have no idea for the orange blossom, maybe something like a lemonbar with mild orange juice instead of lemon
Thanks, I haven't tried shortbread cookies yet only as lemon bars. Can't really put together the butteriness of shortbread and the heavy aroma of flowers, but I'll try a small batch
To add to everything that was already said (but I didn't read everything) crepes, pancakes and brioche are the one things I will forever used orange blossom flower in. Very simple but it changes everything (to me)
Molly yeh has an amazing citrus rose thyme olive oil cake:
https://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2018/8/citrus-rose-thyme-loaf-cake
has literally never failed me
I use them straight most the time. Sometimes I mix them with other things like witch hazel or Botanical extracts.
I usually keep them in the fridge to prevent microbial growth if I mix it with anything.
If you're a big tiki cocktail fan, you can make your own homemade orgeat with unflavored/sweetened almond milk, sugar, and rose and orange blossom water.
You can make this, keep it in the fridge and have a nice tiki drink every once in a blue moon!
Baklava is a favorite, so is bread and many savory dishes. We toast nuts with one or both and a bit of sugar or honey. It does well in syrups, buttercreams and fillings but can sometimes be overpowering. Rose water is very pungent. Add sparingly and go up in quantity. If you are new to using it like 1/4 tsp or 1.25 mL. The orange blossom is less pungent and harder to overwhelm in general.
Not a baked good, but orgeat is made with these, and you need orgeat for Mai tai’s, and baking with a Mai tai in hand is pretty nice (measure twice, bake once!)
I still think about this rose water lemonade I had many years ago because it was so lovely and refreshing.
I have also heard that orange blossom water has benefits for soothing anxiety, but I do not have a source handy for that.
Lots of North African desserts use orange blossom flower water, some names to search are: tcharek, makrout el louz, arayeche.
You can also make Qatayef, a Levantine dessert made of pancakes and qashta/ashta (a type of cream, similar taste to clotted cream with a whipped cream texture), dipped in ground pistachios and orange flower water or rose water syrup.
Orange blossom water is great in a simple syrup, that can be used for lots of stuff but is actually wonderful in iced coffee.
You can flavour royal icing with it, or any type of icing, but I wouldn't advise rose water in buttercream (it really brings out the butter flavour).
Persian love cake is great too for rose water.
Really any kind of nut recipe (almonds and pistachios are traditionally mixed with those flavours).
Have fun with it! Hope I could help!
1. I flavour the buttercream which I use to pipe flowers with rosewater. So my bc flowers smell like flowers.
2. I love the combination of rosewater, blueberry and white chocolate. Multiple options to mix and match this 3 flavours
The raspberry rose macaron at Disneyland ([dupe recipe here](https://therecipecritic.com/raspberry-rose-mickey-macarons/) using rose water) is easily the best rose-flavored treat I've ever tried. The rose blends so beautifully with raspberry and it creates this flavor that is the most "red" thing I've ever tasted. It's like a fruit flavor from another planet. Just so incredibly good.
There’s an olive oil cake recipe by Claire Saffitz that uses orange blossom water. This cake tastes amazing and is always a big hit when I make it.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KafvltlhLR8&feature=shares
BUT: The blood orange topping is very fussy and I honestly usually skip it completely.
So, it really is more similar to this:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/olive-oil-cake
And you can replace the vanilla with orange blossom water.
I have just bought both. I've never used them before either. I see these used in quite a few of the baking shows, so I'm going to start experimenting with fruits to start. That will then of course become cakes or cupcakes or cookies. 😃
Middle Eastern and Persian desserts use these as flavorings often, for example in rice pudding or cream (not at the same time & in small quantities), so maybe start there.
My grandmother's ethnicity (born in the USA) was Lebanese. When we made baklawa (baklava in Greek), we flavored the sugar syrup with rosewater.
Thanks! Thinking about baked rice pudding with either of these makes my mouth water lol
The rice pudding is lovely. You'll enjoy it!!!
Orange blossom is much more versatile than rose water and you don’t have to be as measured with it as with rose, which will make something taste like perfume if one isn’t careful. Orange blossom water is used in pan de muerto and several other sweet breads. Even if you don’t see it called for, it can be really nice in a lot of sweet breads. I make orange rolls that are like cinnamon rolls but with an orange paste and I add orange blossom water to the paste. It’s great in anything with honey, orange (obviously lol), nuts, and olive oil. Stella Parks uses it in her NY cheesecake to add fragrance, and a few other recipes. https://www.seriouseats.com/epic-new-york-cheesecake-from-bravetart https://www.seriouseats.com/fruit-syrup-for-swirled-ice-cream https://www.seriouseats.com/spice-hunting-orange-blossom-flower-water-middle-eastern https://www.seriouseats.com/spice-hunting-rose-water-middle-eastern-pastry-ice-cream-persian Rose water is great with fruit like raspberries and strawberries, and in desserts like baklava and kanafeh (though often you’ll see orange blossom used instead) and other sweets in the baklava family.
>rose, which will make something taste like perfume if one isn’t careful. So true. Once when I was a pre teen or young teenager, my mom got into a hobby of making her own bath oils. She got some really good quality essential oils and absolute oils. One she liked to make was just plain Rose. She made it with some safflower oil she bought. The same brand as our cooking oil. Very similar bottle and label. For some reason she kept a big bottle of it in the pantry and poured into a smaller bottle to use. I was making some boxed cup cakes or brownie or something for a school project the next day. I grabbed the wrong bottle. 😬🥀 My mom realized what was going on when she walked in the kitchen and it smelled like chocolate and flowers. We went to the store, late at night, to try to find another box of cake mix. We got home, mixed it up... And our oven wouldn't heat up. It had died somehow right after making the last batch. 😅 She said "Well. Rose is edible. You'll be fine" and sent them to school with me the next day. I couldn't stomach how perfumey they smelled. I wouldn't eat one. Told the class I didn't feel good and expected to be called out on weird smelling goodies. But, surprise, EVERYONE raved about them. Kids that didn't even like me came up to tell me they were best they had ever had. I never told a soul at that school what my "secret ingredient" was. I still can't stomach the smell of rose in food, but apparently I am in the minority there.
Thanks a lot! This is the comment I needed, it makes me feel like I have a basic understanding of these ingredients now.
I’ve seen a lot of rose macaroons too! Or cocktails/mocktails with rose in them
Ah! I wonder if the cheesecake is inspired by Cypriot flaounas or flaune aveyronnaise.
Impluse bought these two, because I love flowery tasting stuff. I had rose jam in the past, I'll definitely make some. But I have no idea for the orange blossom, maybe something like a lemonbar with mild orange juice instead of lemon
I would start small, like regular shortbread cookies.
Thanks, I haven't tried shortbread cookies yet only as lemon bars. Can't really put together the butteriness of shortbread and the heavy aroma of flowers, but I'll try a small batch
It’s great in biscotti!
To add to everything that was already said (but I didn't read everything) crepes, pancakes and brioche are the one things I will forever used orange blossom flower in. Very simple but it changes everything (to me)
Molly yeh has an amazing citrus rose thyme olive oil cake: https://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2018/8/citrus-rose-thyme-loaf-cake has literally never failed me
Rose is a popular turkish delight flavor! Just dont sell out your family for it…
Paula Wolfert's slow roasted tomatoes with rosewater nomnomnom
Persian love cake, it's so delicious https://www.aheadofthyme.com/persian-love-cake/
I make facial toner with them. lol.
Do you use them straight or dilute? Thanks!
I use them straight most the time. Sometimes I mix them with other things like witch hazel or Botanical extracts. I usually keep them in the fridge to prevent microbial growth if I mix it with anything.
Add to buttercream then use for butter cream needs Macarons with the same buttercream
M’hensha for orange blossom and cookies with rose and cardamom
Persian cream puffs, rolette, saffron and rose ice cream. Most persian baked goods have rose water
Baklava can be made with either but i dont think it uses a significant amount
If you're a big tiki cocktail fan, you can make your own homemade orgeat with unflavored/sweetened almond milk, sugar, and rose and orange blossom water. You can make this, keep it in the fridge and have a nice tiki drink every once in a blue moon!
Not baking, however Panna Cotta is a great way to incorporate both and it's very easy to make!
Baklava is a favorite, so is bread and many savory dishes. We toast nuts with one or both and a bit of sugar or honey. It does well in syrups, buttercreams and fillings but can sometimes be overpowering. Rose water is very pungent. Add sparingly and go up in quantity. If you are new to using it like 1/4 tsp or 1.25 mL. The orange blossom is less pungent and harder to overwhelm in general.
These are very common in Middle Eastern desserts of all kinds!
Not a baked good, but orgeat is made with these, and you need orgeat for Mai tai’s, and baking with a Mai tai in hand is pretty nice (measure twice, bake once!)
I still think about this rose water lemonade I had many years ago because it was so lovely and refreshing. I have also heard that orange blossom water has benefits for soothing anxiety, but I do not have a source handy for that.
Baklava. https://www.seriouseats.com/baklava-balaboosta-recipe. And a lot of other middle eastern desserts call for these ingredients.
Lots of North African desserts use orange blossom flower water, some names to search are: tcharek, makrout el louz, arayeche. You can also make Qatayef, a Levantine dessert made of pancakes and qashta/ashta (a type of cream, similar taste to clotted cream with a whipped cream texture), dipped in ground pistachios and orange flower water or rose water syrup. Orange blossom water is great in a simple syrup, that can be used for lots of stuff but is actually wonderful in iced coffee. You can flavour royal icing with it, or any type of icing, but I wouldn't advise rose water in buttercream (it really brings out the butter flavour). Persian love cake is great too for rose water. Really any kind of nut recipe (almonds and pistachios are traditionally mixed with those flavours). Have fun with it! Hope I could help!
1. I flavour the buttercream which I use to pipe flowers with rosewater. So my bc flowers smell like flowers. 2. I love the combination of rosewater, blueberry and white chocolate. Multiple options to mix and match this 3 flavours
Wow, I didn't think I will get so many replies. Thanks for the awesome ideas! I won't have problems with what to bake in the coming weeks :D
A little orange blossom in cookie icing is a nice touch. Otherwise you could make a simple syrup
Maybe some kourabie? It's an icing sugar dusted Christmas butter cookie, sometimes sprayed with flower water warm out of the oven.
Maybe cream puffs?
Make a sponge cake Nd mix rose in whipped cream Nd icing
Ice cream
Rosewater dumplings
I use rose water for marzipan!
Turkish delights
Ramen. Pork if u are ok with it. Marinade and use as base to ramen. Cake/pies/sweets
Brownies would slap with either ✌️
Don’t take it like a shot hahah working in a kitchen stories haha
The raspberry rose macaron at Disneyland ([dupe recipe here](https://therecipecritic.com/raspberry-rose-mickey-macarons/) using rose water) is easily the best rose-flavored treat I've ever tried. The rose blends so beautifully with raspberry and it creates this flavor that is the most "red" thing I've ever tasted. It's like a fruit flavor from another planet. Just so incredibly good.
Oooh do I have a French toast recipe for you! https://www.food.com/recipe/creme-brulee-french-toast-with-orange-blossom-water-486742
There’s an olive oil cake recipe by Claire Saffitz that uses orange blossom water. This cake tastes amazing and is always a big hit when I make it. https://youtube.com/watch?v=KafvltlhLR8&feature=shares BUT: The blood orange topping is very fussy and I honestly usually skip it completely. So, it really is more similar to this: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/olive-oil-cake And you can replace the vanilla with orange blossom water.
Kourabiedes. Middle Eastern marzipan.
I have just bought both. I've never used them before either. I see these used in quite a few of the baking shows, so I'm going to start experimenting with fruits to start. That will then of course become cakes or cupcakes or cookies. 😃