HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Many people believe Mother’s Day was developed as a commercial holiday to sell cards, candy and flowers or to celebrate the domestic role of women in the home and family. Really, this day is more about women’s commitment to the past, present and the future. Most often, mother’s take the lead in passing down family stories, life lessons and traditions.
Mother’s Day isn’t a new holiday with some of its earliest celebrations being traced back to ancient Greece and Rome. Here in Canada, we set aside the second Sunday in May to honor our mother’s with expressions of love and gratitude.
Although my mother is no longer on this earth, her wonderful memory will live on forever. It is also with love, Brion and I celebrate his mother, Dolores, for her loving and kind ways.
I was trying to come up with something special to bake for the blog recipe today. Lately I have enjoyed using rose & orange water in my cooking. Sweet and fragrant rose water is an elegant steam distillate of rose petals. The key is to use it sparingly as a little goes a long way. Used raw, the flavor is very floral and aromatic. When baked or roasted, that flowery essence mellows out, imparting notes similar to vanilla, with a fruity, more subtle aroma. There are a variety of ways to use rose water from cake and cookies to cocktails and even in roast chicken.
This flavor combination definitely takes the meaning of ‘special’ to a whole new level. Just what I was looking for.
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- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cardamom, ground
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped; reserve 2 Tbsp for decoration
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tsp rosewater (add 1/4 tsp at a time)
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
- 1-2 drops pink food color gel
Ingredients
Pistachio Cardamom Cupcakes
Rosewater Buttercream Frosting
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- Preheat oven to 325 F. Line muffin tin with paper liners & set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour baking powder, soda, cardamom & salt. Set aside. In another bowl, beat together softened butter, oil & sugar; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg is added. Slowly add sour cream & vanilla. Fold in flour mixture being careful not to over mix batter.
- Divide batter between the muffin cups. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven & place the individual muffins on a cooling rack.
- In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter & 1 Tbsp milk. With an electric mixer, beat on low until sugar is incorporated then move to medium-high speed. Add rosewater a 1/4 tsp at a time (taste to prevent it becoming to strong for your liking) then food color. If the icing is not the proper consistency add another Tbsp of milk.
- When the cupcakes are cool, frost each one using a large angled star tip. Top off each cupcake with a sprinkle of the reserved chopped pistachios.
- To make your cupcakes real special, decorate with some dried rosebuds.
- I was able to find rosewater easily in the ethnic section of the grocery store.