Rose & Pistachio Little Buns

Rose & Pistachio Little Buns

Dee Rettali, owner of Fortitude Bakehouse in London, tops these rosewater-flavoured buns with organic dried rose buds from the Merzouga valley in Morocco. Having visited this region many times, she says she's always greeted by the heady floral smell of organic roses. Heaven...
Photography: LAURA EDWARDS
Serves
12
Ingredients
12-hole muffin tin or easy-release silicone mould, greased well with oil
170ml of pomace oil (or light virgin olive oil)
200g of unrefined golden caster sugar
4 eggs
125g of fine semolina
50g of pistachios, finely ground into a flour
200g of ground almonds
1 tsp of baking powder
25ml of rosewater
To decorate
250g of icing sugar
25g of finely chopped pistachios
12 dried rose buds (optional)
Method
Step 1

In a large bowl, beat together the pomace oil and caster sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

Step 2

Add the eggs one at a time and continue to mix until combined, but do not over-mix.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, combine the semolina, ground pistachios, ground almonds and baking powder.

Step 4

Fold the semolina mixture into the whipped olive oil mix using a metal spoon. When it is almost combined, add the rosewater and gently fold through. Leave overnight in the fridge.

Step 5

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

Step 6

Fold any oil that is sitting on the surface back into the mixture to combine again. Making sure that the muffin tin or mould is greased well with oil, divide the mixture equally between the holes of the tin or mould, then place it on a baking tray. Bake in the centre of the hot oven for 22 minutes or until the buns feel set to the touch.

Step 7

Transfer the buns from the tin or mould to a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

Step 8

To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with just enough warm water to make a thick paste. Spread the top of each bun with the icing using the back of a spoon and sprinkle over the pistachios. If preferred, place a dried rose bud in the middle of each bun.

Step 9

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these little buns will keep for 7 days.

Step 10

To ferment: once mixed, store the cake batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days to allow it to ferment. Fold any oil sitting on the surface back into the mixture before baking.

Baking with Fortitude by Dee Rettali (Bloomsbury Publishing, £22.00) is out now.

Photography by Laura Edwards

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