There are many recipes for cornflake cookies, with variables galore: from honey to chocolate or peanut butter, flour or no flour, nuts or without nuts – anything you could ever think of.

Given that Hari Raya is right around the corner, this might be the perfect time to try this delectable variation on the classic treat: cornflake cookies made with rosewater.

Rosewater, made of distilled water steeped in rose petals, is an ingredient in one of Malaysia’s favourite cordials, rose syrup.

It has a distinct floral aroma, and the flavour is both familiar and exotic, promising to make your ordinary cornflake cookies extra special.

Ingredients

• 285g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 170g castor sugar
• 255g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp rose water
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 500g cornflakes

Method

• Preheat your oven to 175°C.
• Cut the softened butter into small cubes and place them in a mixing bowl with the sugar.
• Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer, increasing the speed gradually over 3-4 minutes until the mixture is pale and soft but not fluffy.
• Now add one egg at a time, and mix it in on low speed. Once the last egg is in, beat the mixture on low for about 2 minutes.
• Next, add the rosewater and continue mixing the batter.
• Combine the all-purpose flour and baking powder, and sift these together into the mixing bowl with the batter.
• Once all the flour has been sifted, use a spatula to fold the ingredients together.

Shaping and baking

• Pour the cornflakes into a large baking tray and spread it out evenly.
• Using two regular teaspoons, scoop out a spoonful of dough and shape it into a ball.
• Place the dough on the cornflakes, roughly keeping them 5 cm apart. Continue to do so until the tray is full.

• Generously coat each ball of dough with cornflakes using clean, dry hands.
• Take a cornflake coated ball and gently compress it with your palm and fingers to push the cornflakes into the dough. If your dough is soft, don’t overdo it because it would make the cookie fragile and fall apart. If the cookie falls apart, stick it back together and apply a little more pressure.

• Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet roughly 3 cm apart. They will expand as they bake.
• Bake at 175°C for 17-20 minutes. They are ready when the cornflakes are a golden brown and the dough is cooked.
• Let the cookies rest on the baking tray for a bit before removing them from the oven to cool further.
• Once completely cool, transfer the cookies in airtight containers immediately, and make sure they are stored this way to retain their crunch.

Tip

• Note that rosewater and rose essence aren’t the same thing. Rose essence is more intense. If you can’t get rosewater, replace with 1/3 tbsp of rose essence.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of its people, food and places.