To take your next apple pie to a garden-party-worthy level, add a splash of rose water. Why does the combo work? The aromatic floral flavor makes an unexpected complementary pairing with the nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger spiciness of apple pie filling. In fact, according to the Smithsonian Gardens, apples actually belong to the rose family (a fun nature fact that Robert Frost wrote a poem about in 1927).
Luckily for home cooks, you can make rose water at home with nothing more than the titular ingredients: roses and water. Just be sure to use food-safe organic roses. Add more or fewer petals depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.
Rose apple pie is perfect for picnics, Mother’s Day, tea parties, and girls’ nights in. Intrepid bakers: Try shaping the top crust like delicately layered rose petals. You could even carve a rose shape into an apple and place it beside the pie for a show-stopping presentation. Pair the dessert with a hot cardamom-rose tea to bring out its herbal flavor. Or serve it as an elevated cocktail hour treat alongside a white Negroni or a rose martini.
