Food at the speed of life: Cupcakes contain hint of rose petals

Rose petal cupcakes? Yep.

Portales recipe collector Raychel Randle shared the recipe she said she found in a 1913 Crisco cookbook:

Rose Leaf Cakes

• 1 cupful rose leaves

• 3 cupfuls flour

• 1 cupful sugar

• 1/2 cupful Crisco (I used butter.)

• 3 eggs

• 1 cupful milk

• 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder

• 1 lemon

• 1/2 teaspoonful salt

Cream Crisco and sugar thoroughly together. Then add eggs well beaten, flour baking powder, salt, milk, grated rind and 1 tablespoonful lemon juice, and fresh rose leaves. Divide into “Crisco-ed” and floured gem pans and bake in moderate oven from 12-15 minutes.

Sufficient for 35 cakes.

Raychel says “gem pans” are muffin tins and “moderate oven” means 350 degrees.

Once Rose Richards at Hestands Floral and Gifts donated rose petals, making the cakes wasn’t too hard. (We won’t discuss my hand getting burned.) I wound up with just 20 cakes, though.

The cupcakes had a light texture and were mildly sweet and, on the second day, lemony.

The petals’ texture was noticeable but not tough.

Rose said the cakes reminded her a bit of pound cake, and Victor Baca of Portales said they were “a little stout, but tasty.”

Argen Duncan writes for Cannon Connections. You can reach her at 356-4481 or by e-mail: aduncan@pntonline.com