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Fig, rose & almond granola parfaits.

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The rose petal granola is barely adapted from this marvelous recipe by 101 Cookbooks, with almonds instead of walnuts (for no reason other than I like them) and without currants. The black pepper originally gave me pause, but don’t be like me and don’t be tempted to omit it — it’s the kind of extra touch that makes me marvel at the skill of other bloggers out there, and it brings out the floral notes in the granola in the most surprising, and amazing, way.

Ingredients

Scale
  • for the rose petal preserves:
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 oz (about 1/2 cup, packed) dried culinary rose petals, or 1 1/2 oz (1 1/2 cups, packed) fresh, clean petals
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp rosewater (optional, for a stronger rose flavor)
  • 1/2 tsp fruit pectin (optional)
  • for the granola:
  • 2 cups (7 oz) rolled oats

  • 3/4 cups (3 oz) sliced or slivered almonds
  • 
1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • small pinch ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp dried rose petals, divided
  • 
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 oz) unsalted butter
  • 
1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 tsp rose water
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
  • 1 egg white (optional)
  • to assemble:
  • Greek yogurt, regular yogurt of your choice, or fromage blanc
  • fresh figs

Instructions

  1. To make the rose petal preserves: First, pick over the rose petals to remove any leaves and separate the petals to ensure they release the most flavor. If using fresh petals, wash thoroughly. Combine the sugar, water, and rose petals in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and rosewater, if using, and continue to cook for 3-5 more minutes, or until syrup begins to thicken slightly and bubbles form a pink foam on top. For a syrupy preserve, remove from heat and jar. For a jammier, thicker consistency, add the pectin and continue to cook for 3-4 more minutes. Take care not to overcook — even with the pectin, the consistency will still be somewhat liquid when hot, and will set much more upon cooling. I preferred mine a bit looser since it mixes into the yogurt nicely that way and gives a little room for error in cooking. Either way, pour into sterilized glass containers, seal and let cool completely or chill.
  2. To make the granola: Preheat the oven to 300 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Combine the oats, almonds, salt, pepper, and half of the rose petals in a large mixing bowl. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until melted, then stir in the honey until combined. Remove from heat and whisk in the rosewater. Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture and stir until oats are well-coated, at least 30 seconds. For a clumpier granola, stir in the egg white.
  4. Spread the mixture evenly across the baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the granola is toasty and deeply golden. You may want to rotate the pan once to ensure even baking.
  5. Remove from the oven and press down on the granola with a spatula to form more clumps. Let cool completely, sprinkle with the remaining dried rose petals, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.
  6. For the parfaits: Assemble Greek yogurt, granola, rose petal preserves, and sliced fresh figs in the amount of your choice. Enjoy!

Notes

If using dried petals, the resulting preserves will be a bit chewier than with fresh petals. This didn’t bother me too much, but if you’d like it to be softer, soak the petals overnight in 1 cup of water, then use the petals and water to make the jam the next day.

Find it online: https://tworedbowls.com/2015/08/05/fig-rose-parfaits/