Velvet Glaze
← Back to journal

Menu

Meet the rose-pistachio

The story behind our prettiest donut, and why it took eleven attempts to get the rose just right.

Mara Oyelaran
Mara Oyelaran

Founder & Head Pastry Chef4 min read

Rose petals and pistachios beside a pink glazed donut

If you have followed us for a while, you know the rose-pistachio. It is the one people photograph before they eat. But it nearly did not make the menu at all.

Eleven attempts

Rose is a tricky flavor. Too little and it disappears; too much and it tastes like soap. We went through eleven versions before landing on a tiny amount of rosewater balanced with a squeeze of lemon and a raspberry base for color.

Rose petals and pistachios beside a pink glazed donut
Dried petals go on by hand, one at a time.
The rose-pistachio donut
The finished donut.

The pistachios are lightly toasted and roughly chopped for crunch. It is still one of the most time-consuming donuts we make, and still one of our favorites.

Portrait of Mara Oyelaran

Written by

Mara Oyelaran

Founder & Head Pastry Chef

Mara opened Velvet Glaze after a decade in restaurant pastry kitchens. She still dips the first donut every morning.

More from Mara →

Loading comments...