roses

…and yes, even cooks?

Place 200 g. water and 90 g. sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. When cool, stir in 30 g. strained raspberry juice and 1/4 tsp. rosewater. Sprinkle 5 g. of Methocel E15 and  10 g. Ultratex 8 over top of syrup and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to hydrate.
On a smooth sheet of silicone, form two 5″ long strips of solution and 10 petals, approximately 1/2″ in diameter. With the back of a spoon, spread out the strips to an even thickness and spread the petals to about an inch in diameter. Place in a dehydrator to dry for 4 hours or until a flexible film has formed that can be peeled off of the silicone.

To form the center of the rose, peel off one of the long strips and secure one end by wrapping it around the tip of a toothpick. Peel off a petal and ruffle the base by pinching it between thumb and forefinger. Wrap the base of petal around the base of the rose center on the toothpick, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the next petal, slightly overlapping the first. Continue forming and adding petals in concentric circles, pressing each one to the base, until all of the petals are used. When rose is complete, stick the end of the toothpick into a potato to hold rose upright. Place rose and potato into a 250 F. oven for 8-10 minutes or until petals have hardened and turned crisp. When rose has cooled, remove toothpick by gently twisting it while holding the base of the rose with the other hand. Keep in a tightly sealed, dry container until ready to use.