Rose Petal Muffins (Shout-out to Her Majesty the Queen)

Millie should have been born in the English countryside.  She's always been an old soul with old-fashioned sensibilities, and when she sees recipes in our British cookbook devoted to muffins, she gravitates toward those with rose petals and lavender buds.  Me?  Not so much.

I'm so glad to have her!  Without Mildred commandeering my kitchen, I would never have tasted these lightly sweet muffins, and they really are quite good.  If you don't like the taste of rosewater, simply omit it from the glaze and add flavoring more to your liking, instead (vanilla, lemon, etc.), because while the muffins themselves are not noticeably rose-flavored, the glaze certainly is.

The muffins pair wonderfully with a hardboiled egg and a spot of tea for breakfast, but their impressive presentation would make them perfect for Fancy Teas, as well.

Rose Petal Muffins (source: Muffins by Gemma Reece)

Makes 12

Oil for greasing muffin pan

1 and 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

4 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. superfine sugar (just whizz granulated sugar in a coffee grinder or blender or use regular)

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. rose water

1 and 3/4 oz. edible rose petals, rinsed, patted dry, and lightly snipped (Millie just picks a few handfuls from here and adds them as she wishes)

Rose petal glaze

7/8 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp. liquid glucose (Millie just uses a bit of milk until desired consistency is reached)

1 tbsp. rose water (or 1/2 tsp. of another extract)

1 and 3/4 oz. edible rose petals, rinsed and patted dry (see above)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Oil your muffin tin.  Sift the flour, baking powder, adn salt into a large mixing bowl.  

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and superfine sugar, then stir in the beaten egg, milk, rose water, and snipped rose petals.  Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and then gently stir together until just combined.  Do not overstir the batter (lumpy batter is fine).  

Divide the muffin batter evenly between the 12 cups (fill cups about 2/3 full).  Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minuter, or until risen and golden.

While the muffins are cooking, make the glaze.  Stir all ingredients together until smooth.

When muffins are cooked, remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  When cooled, drizzle glaze over tops of muffins and top with more rose petals before serving.