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Valentine's Day is around the corner, bringing with it the flower shops chock full of red roses and heart-shaped boxes. Instead of being clichéd this year and getting your loved one the usual suspects, why not let them eat their roses?
Here are a few places around town offering sweets and desserts sweetened with rose water, rose petals and the like.
Mashti Malone's
This Hollywood ice cream shop belongs to two brothers, Mashti and Mehdi Shirvani,who grew up Mashhad, a small town in northern Iran. They utilize some traditional flavors like rosewater, cardamom, saffron, and pistachio in their creamy, dreamy desserts. Some of their scoops include Creamy Rosewater, Ginger Rosewater, Rosewater Sorbet, and our personal favorite, Rosewater Saffron.
Mashti Malone's is located at 1525 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, (323) 874-6168
Valerie
Valerie really can do no wrong when it comes to seasonal pastries, so it should come as no surprise that their signature rose petal petit fours—layers of delicate vanilla bean cake layered with rose petal passion fruit ganache, coated in white chocolate and topped with a candied rose petal—are some of our favorites in town, holiday or not.
Valerie is located at 3360 W 1st St, Los Angeles, (213) 739-8149
Photo via Bottega Louie on Facebook (The pink cookies are the rose macarons)
Bottega Louie
Say what you will about the noise levels at Downtown L.A.'s Bottega Louie, but their pastries are pretty darn good, especially their macarons. The brightly colored French cookies have that shattering crackle that you look for, with the delicate floral rosewater flavor that your sweetie will love.
Bottega Louie 700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, (213) 802-1470
Your Home
Want to surprise your sweetheart with something homemade and truly unique for the holiday? Try making this North African-inspired orange rosewater polenta cake. We cooked it for Curtis Stone and Queen Latifah, and they loved it too.
Baklava Factory
Get your fill of phyllo dough that's filled with rose water, pistachios and honey at the Baklava Factory, where they make a bang-up ballourieh. It's a unique type of sweet that you won't find anywhere else.
The Baklava Factoryis located at 17540 Ventura Blvd, Encino, (818) 981-3800
