roses

Washingtonian Magazine just launched a new magazine called Bride and Groom. I initially got involved in this project because my talented friends Pum and Jake who are, Design Army, worked with the Washingtonian on the new magazine and asked me to do flowers for a photo shoot for the first issue of the Bride and Groom...
Soon after I was excited to be named as the up and coming florist in the premiere issue of Bride and Groom.
Yesterday there was a launch party/bridal showcase for the magazine at the Park Hyatt. Through the planning process for the event (as well as doing a presentation table at the event I did the flowers for a fashion show, and some other spots), I ran into lots of friends and colleagues working on the project including, Jill Hudson Neal, who I have enjoyed working with over the years and is now the editor of the new magazine. Aimee Dominick , a fantastic event planner orchestrated the Park Hyatt event. It was great to reconnect with other colleagues and meet new ones as well as brides planning for the future.
All that information gets me to rose cookies. I made the bridal bouquet in the above photo based on Design Army's vision. The roses in the bouquet are a variety called, Esperance and come from a Florida distributor that only sells roses from farms that use sustainable growing practices. Many of the farms they buy from are cooperatively owned and all have excellent labor practices....and all of that in a round about way led me to making Rose Cookies for yesterdays event.

Rose Cookies
2/3 cup non hydrogenated shortening
large pinch of salt
4 teaspoons rose water
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup pureed silken tofu
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar (organic, free trade and vegan if possible)

decoration
1/4 cup sugar (organic, free trade and vegan if possible)
1/4 teaspoon beet juice
6 buds of rose tea, leaves removed from bud and broken into small pieces

1.Combine decoration sugar and beet juice to make a pink sugar, set aside.
2.Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the other ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4.Roll the cookies out using additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Cut cookies out with a cutter.
5.Sprinkle cookies with pink sugar and rose leaves.
6.Bake until barely golden brown around the edges, about 8 minutes.