Romantic Rose Geranium - pie and lemonade!!! OOh la la!!

I have always loved and relished the thought of using flowers in baking and desserts in general...how romantic and exotic and now FINALLY I have made something, actually two things, with Rose Geranium...I love the smell, I was a little leary of the 'geranium' part which can be soapy if you over do it but Rose Geranium...doesn't it just sound divine!!

Rose Geranium Buttermilk Pie

Of course I had to use Kate's Real Buttermilk in my pie, what else is there??!!

THE RECIPE:

Piecrust...Pate Brisee by Martha
Pre-heat oven to 400F

1 1/4 cups/5ozs of white flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 stick (4ozs) butter I always use salted, VERY cold

1/8 to 1/4 cup ice cold water

METHOD:
 
1. Sift the flour

2. Grate the butter into the flour.

3. Gently work butter into flour until it resembles coarse meal.

4. Add some of the water and test to see if it comes together, if not keep adding water until the dough will squush into a non-sticky ball.

5. Put into the fridge to rest for at least one hour.

6. Take the pastry out of the fridge, allow to warm a very little, roll out nice and thin, then line an 8" tart pie...preferably with a removable base. Put back in the fridge for about another 20 minutes til nice and cold...the colder the better...I have found the colder it is before baking the less the pie shell will shrink in cooking. 
 
7. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with beans and blind bake for about 20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for about another 15 minutes so shell is somewhat cooked before you put the liquid filling in. Helps the shell stay crisper once the buttermilk filling has been added.


FOR THE FILLING:

2 medium sized pesticide free Rose Geranium leaves

1 cup/7ozs of sugar

1/8 cup/ 1 tablespoon of softened butter

3 large eggs

1 cup/4fluid ozs Kate's Buttermilk (if you can find it) goodly pinch of freshly grated nutmeg


1. Pulse sugar and rose geranium leaves in a blender or food processor 'til the leaves are minced fine.

2. Transfer to a bowl and cream in the softened butter.

3. Add the eggs one by one and blend well.

4. Add the buttermilk and the nutmeg.

5. Pour the delightful mixture into the mostly pre baked shell and cook at 350F for about 50 minutes or until the centre of the buttermilk custard is still only slightly wobbly...you don't want to cook it too long and the centre be really set as the pie will still be cooking even after you take it out of the oven.

Allow to cool, before eating.

The pie is a curious pale green, celery like colour and does honestly look more like a quiche...but it certainly doesn't taste that way!! It is really delicate, evanescent and curious but lovely!!

Then...I had to make Rose Geranium Lemonade...beware I like my lemonade TART!!

Unlike in the picture above...don't keep the rose geranium leaf in the lemonade as it will end up being too geraniumy...I just did this for the looks and the photograph...how very shallow of me!!

THE RECIPE:

Put 1 cup sugar (7ozs) and 1 cup water (4 fluid ozs) and juice of three lemons in a heavy bottomed pan and boil together for about 5 minutes to make simple syrup.

Add 2 1/2 (10 fl. ozs) cups cold water, the juice of three more lemons and three rose geranium leaves and 'muddle' for about 10 minutes...then remove the leaves beofre they become soapy..
Ta Dah!!!...the lemonade smells lovely and has a very delicate flavour you may not recognize or have tasted before.

Below is a picture of some of Autumns' early bounty here in Maine...Pee Gee Hydrangea blossoms, Chinese Lanterns from the roadside and Concord Grapes from our back yard!!!
The beautiful vase is from my friend David Jacobson...hand blown and so very elegant.
Happy nearly Fall!!!

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