Dainty pistachio and rose shortbread
It is not easy to make friends as an adult. It seems that by the time people get to their 30s they have an established, close knit group of friends and no more need apply.
For some reason any new acquaintances are nice to have a chit-chat with but it’s hard to get deeper than that. Do we get lazier as we get older? You know when someone cancels a coffee or a meeting at the bar and you actually feel relief? Not because you don’t like that person, but because you don’t have to make the effort to get dressed up and venture out, you can instead stay in and watch Real Housewives in your pyjamas.
As children we go to school, we see our friends everyday, whether we want to or not, and the relationships blossom from that daily contact. As adults is a lot easier to hide from social relationships, even at work. Effort is needed to build meaningful relationships.
My good, old friends are all in Brazil. Or Abu Dabi, or Germany and I miss the closeness that I developed with them. My work is so social, there are a lot of girls that work closely together and share gossip. So I decided to take the first step. Ask them out if you will. In fact I invited myself to one of the girl’s house. But it turned out we all had a great time and got along like a house on fire. We had tea with carrot cake, salted caramel cookies and these dainty shortbreads.
We’re meeting again, same place, on saturday night for takeaway food.
Dainty pistachio and rose shortbread
125g good quality butter at room temperature (I used Président)
60g sugar
40g chopped pistachios
1/2 cup edible rose petals
160g plain flour
15g cornflour
1/2 cup of sugar
1. Preheat a fan oven to 170C. Beat butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, this will be a good 3 minutes
2. Sieve in the flours and stir. Finally add half of the rose petals and the pistachios.
3. Press mixture together with hands to form a firm dough. Knead onto a gently floured surface and roll until it’s around 1/2 inch thick. Use preferred cookie cutters and place onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until a pale-straw colour.Remember to rotate tray in the oven half way through the baking
4. Prepare rose sugar by blitzing 1/2 cup of sugar with the remaining of the rose petals
5. Cool on wire rack, once cooled coat with the rose sugar.
