A delicious edible garnish for tarts, cakes, or whatever your heart desires! This recipe makes approximately 25-30 rosettes.
Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut each rhubarb stalk into three equal pieces. Place each rhubarb stalk piece, flat on a cutting board. Using a Swiss vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips of rhubarb from each piece.
Use kitchen shears to trim each rhubarb strip into an elongated scallop or half-moon shape. These will be the "petals" for the roses. Set aside. Reserve trimmings.
To make the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. If you wish, you can also add the trimmed rhubarb ends (NOT the leaves) and/or a few of the trimmings left over from creating the rhubarb "petals." Heat over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup begins to simmer. Allow it to simmer for a minute or so, then turn off the heat.
Soak the rhubarb "petals" in the warm simple syrup for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the softened, syrup-coated petals to the parchment-lined baking sheets, laying them flat.
Place baking sheets in oven for about 10 minutes--this allows the rhubarb strips to soften further and dry out a bit.
Remove the rhubarb petals from oven. Quickly and carefully, roll the petals into rosettes: take one petal and roll it up, then continue rolling the rosette with another petal slightly overlapping with the first, then with a third petal. (If you want bigger rhubarb roses, add more petals.)
When you finish shaping each rhubarb rose, return it to the parchment-lined baking sheet. (You may want to nest the rhubarb roses against the side of the baking sheet, to help keep the petals in each rose stuck together as they dry out in the oven.) Return the rhubarb roses to the oven for about 50 minutes or until dry to the touch.
Remove from oven and transfer to plate to cool.