Wild Rose Sugar Cookies
“The ancient city of Shiraz in Iran is often referred to as the “City of Roses.” It’s no surprise that roses found their way into numerous Iranian desserts. From rose flavored ice cream to rose-infused baklavah, the intoxicating smell of roses always transports me back home – to family, savory foods and warmth. I wanted to combine the flavors that remind me of home with a classic American treat – sugar cookies. Baking with tea is much more fun so in place of rose water, I used Rishi Tea’s Organic Wild Rose white tea. The sweetness of white tea combined with the aromatic roses in these sugar cookies was so intoxicating that I found myself eating bits of raw dough! Whether these cookies transport you to a beautiful rose garden in Iran, to the high mountain tea gardens of Fujian or to a quiet and comforting place in your own mind, it will be a place you’ll want to visit time and time again. ”
—Ghazal Sheei
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups butter
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons of Organic Wild Rose loose leaf tea
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 5 tablespoons of milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of Wild Rose Tea
- Food coloring (if desired)
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 ° F
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a small pot, melt the butter and gently stir in Wild Rose tea. Infuse the tea in the butter making sure the mixture does not boil or burn. Gently stir the mixture and infuse for 15 minutes.
- Using a tea infuser or strainer, strain the butter from the tea and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the tea infused butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
- Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls or use heart shaped cut outs and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make sure to provide sufficient space between dough as the cookies expands.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
Rose Frosting- Follow the same butter and tea infusion steps listed above.
- In large mixing bowl, mix together tea infused butter and sugar until smooth. Slowly add in milk, vanilla extract using an electric mixer.
- Mix until stiff and smooth, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in food coloring until you get the desired color.