Rosewater Shortbread Cookies

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup (1 ounce) powdered sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons rosewater

1 cup (4¼ ounces) all-purpose flour

Generous pinch of salt

7 ounces white chocolate chips

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

¼ cup minced raw, unsalted pistachios

2 tablespoons finely chopped dried edible rose petals (optional)

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest and rosewater until smooth and creamy. Add the flour and salt, then beat gently until just combined. Tumble the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a disc. Cover with another large piece of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.

Transfer the dough to a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment.

Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap from the dough. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible from the dough. Re-roll the dough scraps to cut additional cookies. Transfer the hearts to the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottoms and lightly browned around the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To decorate the cookies: Bring a medium saucepan filled with about 1 inch of water to a simmer. Set a medium bowl over it. Add the white chocolate chips and vegetable shortening to the bowl and melt, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the pistachios and rose petals.

One at a time, dip one side of each cookie into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off. Before the chocolate on the cookie has time to cool and set, sprinkle it with the pistachio-rose petal mixture. Pause for a few seconds to let it cool off, then place on a wire rack to cool. Store cookies in a single layer in a paper towel-lined airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 18.

Cook's note: If you opt to decorate these cookies with rose petals, be sure to only use those labeled as edible (available online and at most Middle Eastern markets).

Nutrition values per serving: 150 calories, 10 g fat (6 g saturated), 14 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 8 g sugar, 2 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium.

Aarti Sequeira for The Associated Press