Strawberries in Syrup With Cardamom & Rose Water

Sweet and fragrant, a strawberry in syrup nourishes the soul as well as body. Ideal for relaxed weekend mornings when the family wanders in for breakfast, just serve over crispy waffles or fluffy pancakes with rich cream and your favorite coffee.

Cardamom Semolina Cake with Rosewater Syrup

Yes, I have to admit, I do have a sweet tooth and bake something sweet quite often. In my family 4 o'clock afternoon tea is a cherished tradition. Tea and coffee is something we all drink a lot of. Sometimes I crave Middle Eastern desserts, sweet and syrupy, with ton of nuts and exotic herbs. That is why on my kitchen shelf I always keep handy a bottle of rosewater and cardamon seeds.

Almond-Rice Cream Pudding

Blanched ground almonds contribute crunch and subtle sweetness to this creamy rice pudding.

Rose Water Meringue Kisses with Chocolate

BLUE-BELLS IN THE SHADE by Eliza Cook 

"The choicest buds in Flora's train, let other fingers twine ; 
Let others snatch the damask rose, or wreath the eglantine. 
I'd leave the sunshine and parterre, and seek the woodland glade, 
To stretch me on the fragrant bed of blue-bells in the shade. 

Let others cull the daffodil, the lily, soft and fair, 
And deem the tulip's gaudy cup most beautiful and rare ; 
But give to me, oh ! give to me, the coronal that's made 
Of ruby orchis mingled with the blue-bells from the shade. 

The sunflower and the peony, the poppy bright and gay, 
Have no alluring charms for me ; I'd fling them all away. 
Exotic bloom may fill the vase, or grace the high-born maid ; 
But sweeter far, to me, than all, are Blue-bells in the shade."



Tip: Make sure not to make meringue on a humid day, as they tend to leech on to any moisture and will not set up properly or stay crisp. After they baked you need store the meringue cookies in an airtight container away from any heat or moisture. 

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon rose water extract (or another flavor, if preferred)
• food coloring, optional
• 5 oz chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Place the bowl on top of a medium sauce pan filled with a couple of inches of barely simmering water and set over medium heat. Gently whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Pour the egg mixture into a clean bowl. Using a whisk attachment on a stand mixer or a hand held mixture, slowly beat egg mixture. Gradually increase speed and continue to beat mixture until stiff peaks have almost formed. Mixture is ready when whisk attachment dipped into mixture leaves a curled but stiff peak when removed. Gently stir in the extract and food coloring, if using.

Fill a pastry bag with the meringue, and pipe small star shapes onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Once the meringues have cooled to room temperature, sandwich 2 meringues together with 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate. Repeat with remaining meringues. 

Cranberry and Pistachio Nougat with Rose Water

Nougat is a classic crowd pleaser and with this festive recipe, everyone will be asking for more.
Here's what Wikipedia says:
"Nougat is a term used to describe a variety of similar confectioneries made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts(almonds, walnuts, pistachios or hazelnuts are common, but not peanuts) and sometimes chopped candied fruit. The consistency of nougat can range from chewy to hard depending on its composition, and it is used in a variety of candy bars and chocolates. There are two basic kinds of nougat: white and brown. White nougat is made with beaten egg whites and is soft, whereas brown nougat (called nougatine in French) is made with caramelized sugar and has a firmer, often crunchy texture."



This recipe is good, but nougat has consistency of the gummy candy. I was looking for something different, more crunchy, I quess. If you have some good recipes of the perfect nougat please, please, please let me know, my family loves them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry cranberries
• 3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted
• 3/4 cup whole pistachios, toasted
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pink food coloring
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
• 1 tsp rose water

You also need:

• edible rice paper (This recipe also calls for edible rice paper, also known as wafer paper. The rice paper helps prevent the nougat from sticking to everything and makes it easier to cut, serve, and store the candy. It can often be found in Asian food markets and in some gourmet stores, or purchased online. I did not have it, so I did it without it, next time I am going to use it. If you cannot find any, line your pan with parchment paper or foil and spray it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. I did.)
• candy thermometer
• pan
• large stand mixer with whisk attachment

Direction:
Place the sugar, corn syrup, honey and water in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves, then use a wet pastry brush to wipe down the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Insert a candy thermometer and continue to cook the syrup, without stirring, until the candy thermometer reads 252 degrees.
When the sugar syrup is nearing the proper temperature, begin to beat the egg whites until they are opaque with firm, stiff peaks.
Once the sugar syrup is at 252, carefully remove 1/4 cup of syrup and keep the rest of the syrup on the heat. With the mixer running, slowly pour the hot 1/4 cup of syrup in a thin, steady stream into the egg whites. Beat the whites at high speed for few minutes until they hold firm peaks.
While the egg whites are being beaten, continue to cook the rest of the sugar syrup until the thermometer reads 315 degrees.
Once the syrup reaches 315 degrees, remove the pan from the heat. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup slowly into the egg whites. Beat the whites on high until they hold the mixture is glossy and a thick ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted from the bowl.

 
Stop the mixer and add the vanilla extract, pink food coloring, rose water, salt, and butter. Turn the mixer back on until a thick ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the nuts by hand.
Prepare your pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and lining the bottom with rice paper. If you don't have rice paper, line the pan with parchment paper or foil and spray it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.
Scrape the nougat into the prepared pan. It will be stiff! Use a rubber spatula to scrape the candy from the sides of the bowl. Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray and press the candy into a thin, even layer. Allow the nougat to set overnight.
When you are ready to cut the nougat, spray a knife with nonstick cooking spray and run it along the edges of the pan to loosen the candy. Turn the nougat out onto a cutting board. Using a knife sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cut the nougat into small squares or rectangles.
Your nougat is now ready to eat! If you will not be serving it immediately, it is a good idea to wrap the pieces in waxed paper so that they do not spread and stick together. Store the nougat in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.