Northeastern Minnesota is home to several species of wild roses, and right now they are blooming beautifully in various shades of pink. As long as they have not been sprayed with pesticides, they have edible petals, which make lovely additions to jellies, teas, and pastries.
Rose is not a common flavor in the United States, but I was excited to find a magnificent rose-scented croissant at the Marc Heu Patisserie Paris in St. Paul a couple of weeks ago. The croissant was Ispahan-flavored, a term for the combination of lychee, raspberry and rose.
I decided to come up with a Northwoods version of the intricate pastry, and used a simple strudel dough instead of the more complex croissant dough. While lychee is not an ingredient that I have access to, strawberries have a similar flavor and pair well with roses, so I decided to use those along with the summer season’s abundant rhubarb.
Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Wild Rose Strudel
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
2/3 cup diced fresh strawberries
2/3 cup diced fresh rhubarb
1/2 cup fresh wild rose petals (loosely packed)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon rosewater (see notes)
2 tablespoons dried rose petals (see notes)
Instructions:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cardamom, and salt. Add the water, egg, and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Stir well, then scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until soft and smooth, dusting with additional flour as needed. Grease a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the dough and turn to coat.
Cover and let rest for 1–2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drape a clean bed sheet over a large table and lightly dust with flour. Roll out the dough to about 12x18 inches. If the dough seems dry, brush with the remaining oil. Begin stretching the dough by gently pulling the edges and working your way around the table. Then, start reaching under the dough toward the middle and sliding your hands outward. Once the dough is paper-thin and covers the whole table with several inches of overhang, trim off any thick edges all the way around the table. Scatter the strawberries, rhubarb, and rose petals over 2/3 of the length of the dough, keeping the filling ingredients a few inches from the edges of the table, and leaving the other 1/3 of
the length bare. Scatter the sugar over the entire surface of the table, and drizzle 4 tablespoons of butter over all. Starting at the fruit and rose petal side, carefully flip any overhang over the edge of the filling by lifting up the sheet. Continue to lift the sheet, pulling it back as you go, until the strudel is rolled into a long, thin rope. Lightly grease a parchment-lined baking sheet with some of the remaining melted butter. Carefully coil the strudel onto the baking sheet. Brush with the remaining butter. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Once the pastry is deep golden brown, remove it from the oven and cool completely. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and rosewater. Spoon the glaze into a piping bag and drizzle over the strudel. Garnish with crumbled dried rose petals. To serve, cut the pastry into 8 wedges.
Yield: 8 servings.
Notes:
This recipe was tested on a table measuring 82x41-inches. For larger or smaller tables, you may need to adjust the amount of filling. The dough can be cut in half for smaller tables and makes enough for most larger tables. Strudel scraps can be re-rolled and pulled, but you may need to knead in a little more water and let it rest until soft enough to work with. I like to drizzle the scraps with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then roll up. You can cut or tear the scraps into individual servings, and bake in scrunched-up mounds on a sheet pan for a tasty treat. To make rosewater, bring 1/2 cup of distilled water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup loosely packed rose petals. Let stand until cooled to room temperature. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth, discarding the petals. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. I love the flavor of rosewater, so I am heavy-handed with it. For a more subtle flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon rosewater and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. For the dried rose petals, gently wash 1/3 cup loosely packed rose petals. Scatter the petals over a paper towel-lined tray and allow to air dry for 2-3 days or until dry and crisp. Once dry, the petals will shrink to about 2 tablespoons.
