Rosettes Recipe

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 90 mins

Chilling: 2 hrs

Total: 3 hrs 40 mins

Servings: 15 to 18 servings

Yield: 50 to 56 cookies

You don't need a Swedish or Norwegian grandmother to enjoy crispy, delicate rosette cookies; all you need is a rosette iron and the patience to learn a few easy tricks to make this traditional favorite.

Rosettes can be tricky to make at first, and the true key to success is reading through the entire recipe and the tips provided here before you begin.

Once mastered, rosettes can be prepared in both sweet and savory varieties. Serve either as a heavenly, light cookie (similar to funnel cakes, only far less heavy), or as an appetizer spiced with garlic salt or any other favorite savory seasoning.

The most common rosette irons are star or flower-shaped, but you can find irons in holiday or even animal shapes. If you're a newcomer to rosettes, you might be more comfortable trying a single prong iron first. That said, you'll soon be ready to fry two at once using the double prong iron as you gain more confidence.

Before dipping your first rosettes, take a deep breath and remember the Scandinavian baker's wise adage: "I dedicate my first batch to the Norse gods." When working with specialty irons, like ​rosette, krumkake, or goro irons, it often takes even experienced cooks a try or two to get the iron properly heated before the cookies come out perfectly, but don't worry. They'll still taste great!

You will need:

• a rosette iron (single or double prong)
• a 9-inch cake pan or large pie plate
• several smaller size bowls
• if using a double-prong iron, you will need a medium, heavy-duty deep skillet, preferably straight sided, or other medium deep heavy-duty pot.
• if using a single-prong iron, you will need a small heavy-duty deep skillet, preferably straight sided, or other small deep heavy-duty pot.
• a candy/deep-fry thermometer
• a clean metal or wooden knitting needle or chopstick
• paper towels for draining the fried rosettes and blotting the iron

“Although making these cookies was time consuming and a bit messy, it was an absolute JOYOUS experience. The recipe screams HOLIDAYS, and I could feel myself getting into the spirit as I continued to make these cookies. They’re beautiful to look at, tasty, light, and crispy. My best advice? Read the recipe in its entirety before beginning. Have all your ingredients ready and most importantly, follow the steps exactly. You may have one or two rosettes that aren’t perfect, but you’ll start to develop a rhythm and get a feel for how to handle the rosette iron.” —Diana Andrews

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 120 grams (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon table salt

• Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, for garnish

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, for garnish

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined.

   

3. Sift together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt.

   

4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well combined. The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream. Refrigerate, covered, for two hours so the batter can fully hydrate. Also, this will assure crispier cookies.

   

5. If using a double-prong iron, use a medium, heavy-duty deep skillet, preferably straight sided, or other medium deep heavy-duty pot. If using a single-prong iron, use a small heavy-duty deep skillet, preferably straight sided, or other small deep heavy-duty pot.

   Heat 2- to 2 1/2-inches of oil on medium-high heat until it reaches 360 F to 365 F.

   

6. Pour the batter into a shallow 9-inch cake pan or pie plate. This will make it easier to dip the rosette iron. Submerge the rosette iron into the hot oil to heat for 15 seconds.

   

7. Blot the iron molds on paper towels to remove excess oil.

   

8. Carefully dip the heated rosette iron into the batter so that the batter covers the bottom and comes halfway up the sides of the iron, but does not cover the top. 

   

9. Submerge the batter-coated iron completely in the oil (the oil will bubble), being sure not to touch the bottom of the pot. Within 30 to 45 seconds, you will be able to remove the rosette from the iron using a metal or wooden or chopstick.

   

10. Continue to fry until the rosette is golden brown and crisp, about 30 seconds more. Flip the rosette over, if necessary, to allow the other side to become lightly brown.

    

11. Remove from pan with your chopstick and allow to drain and cool, inverted with the hollow side down on paper towels. Repeat the process until all the rosettes are fried, being sure the oil is at the proper temperature, and that the irons are heated in the oil and blotted on paper towels each time before dipping into the batter.

    

12. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and the cinnamon together. After the rosettes have cooled, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and serve.

    

Recipe Tips

• Use a candy or deep-fry thermometer to keep the oil's temperature between 360 F and 365 F. If your oil is too hot or too cold, the batter will not adhere to the rosette iron.
• Do not touch the bottom of the pot with the batter-coated iron.
• You will need to transfer the batter to smaller bowls as the level becomes too low for dipping. If using a double-prong iron, remove one of the molds and proceed.
• It's better to lightly and swiftly dip the iron properly into the batter, and then plunge the batter-covered rosette iron into the pan, completely submerging it in the oil. You'll know that you've done it properly when the sides of the cookie almost immediately flare out away from the iron.
• If you dip the rosette iron too far into the batter, it will fry over the top of the iron, rendering it almost impossible to remove without breaking the cookie (although sometimes you can rescue one by quickly using a knife to push the batter away from the top).
• The quantity of oil needed will vary, depending on the size skillet or pot used.

Storage

• Store remaining cookies in an airtight container.
• Rosettes freeze beautifully (do not garnish with cinnamon sugar) for up to two months.
• Defrost, and pop into a warm oven to crisp, then garnish with the cinnamon-sugar mixture once the cookies have cooled.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 15 to 18
Amount per serving
Calories	123
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g	12%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 22mg	7%
Sodium 43mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 28mg	2%
Iron 0mg	3%
Potassium 37mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.