Rose, raspberry and coconut fool

I decided to make rose water. Why? Why not?

I had gathered rose petals over the Summer and dried them in a low heat oven for a few minutes. Now I wanted to do something with them. 

I had no recipes with rose water in my recipe books so I scoured the internet looking for one. I found this recipe at the BBC Food website and it's from Nadiya Hussein, one of the winners of The Great British Bake Off.

First things first, I made the rose water, recipe from Wellness Mama website:

1. Simmer ¼ cup of dried rose petals in 1½ cups of water until the colour of the rose petals has faded, about 5-10 min.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Leave the lid on and cool completely.
3. Strain the water through a sieve into a clean jar.
   
   
   
4. Store in the fridge for several weeks or on the counter for up to 1 week.

Rose water is not pink. Yes, mine is very dark...

Rose water is supposed to be fragrant. Mine has a very very very faint smell of rose.

Rose water is supposed to have a taste of rose. Mine doesn't.

Ok, this might not have been a good idea... Maybe I should have used fresh rose petals picked in the early hours of the morning, which is when the roses are more fragrant...

I persevered anyway and made the dessert with this concoction. No rose flavour. Regardless, a very good dessert!

Serves: 6 portions.

Ingredients:

• 6tbsp raspberry jam
• 250g raspberries
• 75g caster sugar
• 300ml double cream
• 100ml Greek yogurt
• 2tbsp of rosewater, or to taste
• 30g toasted coconut flakes, to decorate
• crystallized rose petals (optional)

Method:

• Nadiya calls for making the raspberry jam but I had some in the cupboard so I used that instead and saved myself time.
• Put the double cream in a bowl with the remaining sugar and whisk to soft peaks.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Add the yogurt and rose water to taste and whisk again gently.
• Add the raspberry jam and ripple through using the back of a knife.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Spoon the mixture evenly into 6 dessert glass bowls and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  
• Top with raspberries, toasted coconut flakes and crystallized rose petals (optional) and serve.