Rose Bavarois Cream

This is old-school French pâtisserie, the kind of recipe you’d find in a Victorian-era cookbook. Rose petals steep in hot cream for two hours, infusing it with a delicate, perfumed flavor that’s floral without tasting like soap. That rose-scented cream then becomes the base of a rich egg yolk custard set with gelatin and lightened with whipped double cream.

The custard must be stirred over heat without boiling. When it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw your finger through it, it’s ready. Boil it and the egg yolks scramble. The softened gelatin dissolves into the hot custard, then everything gets strained to catch the rose petals and any bits of cooked egg.

Stirring over ice until the mixture begins to set is the moment that determines texture. Fold in the whipped cream when the custard is thickened but still pourable. Too early and the cream sinks. Too late and it clumps. Two hours in the mold and it unmolds into a trembling, pale pink dome.

Pro Tips

• Use only food-grade, unsprayed rose petals. Garden roses treated with pesticides will ruin the flavor and aren’t safe to eat.
• Steep the full two hours. Shorter steeping gives a faint flavor that gets lost under the cream and sugar.
• Strain through a fine-mesh or pointed strainer to catch every petal and ensure a perfectly smooth texture.
• Dip the mold briefly in warm water before unmolding. The warmth loosens the gelatin just enough to release cleanly.

Variations

• Add a few drops of rose water to the custard for a more intense floral flavor if the petals alone are too subtle.
• Tint with a tiny drop of pink food coloring for a more dramatic presentation.
• Serve with fresh raspberries or a raspberry coulis for a fruit-and-flower pairing.