How to Make Scandinavian Rosette Cookies

Gather Your Rosette Ingredients

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

The most common rosette irons are star- or flower-shaped, but you can also find ones produced in other shapes, like bells, Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, bunnies, doves, and elephants. (I don't know why they chose an elephant rather than a Wise Man's camel, but that's beside the point.)

Rosettes can be tricky to make at first. Success typically depends upon making sure that your oil is at the right temperature, which is why it's good to use a candy / deep fry thermometer.

To make a basic dessert rosette batter that yields around 40 cookies, you will need:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp. white sugar plus 1 tsp. favorite flavored extract)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Canola oil for frying

You will also need:

• a rosette iron
• a 9-inch cake pan
• a large frying pan
• a candy/deep fry thermometer
• a clean knitting needle or chopstick
• paper towels for draining the fried rosettes

Firmly whisk together the eggs, sugar, extract (if using), and milk. Sift together the flour and salt then whisk into the liquid until incorporated into a batter the texture of heavy cream. If time allows, refrigerate for two hours.

Note: While this step isn't absolutely necessary, your rosettes will be crispier if you let the batter rest for this period.

Heat Your Oil

Heat 2" to 3" of canola oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat to between 360 F and 365 F. Once the oil has reached heat, submerge the rosette iron into the oil to quickly heat it. Pour your batter into a shallow 9-inch cake pan. This will make it easier for you to dip the rosettes.

Note: If your oil is too hot or too cold, the batter will not adhere to the rosette iron.

Pray to the Norse Gods

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!

Carefully dip the heated rosette iron into the batter so that the batter covers the bottoms and sides of the iron but does not cover the tops. Why?...

Dip, Don't Dunk

If you get over-eager and dunk the rosette iron in too far, like this, you end up with …

Food for the Gods

This. If the batter fries itself over the top of the iron, it can be 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 Norse gods will love you. However…

A Rosette with Flare

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.

Fry, Baby, Fry

Within a minute you will be able to use a knitting needle or chopstick to slip the rosette off the iron into the oil. Fry for a few seconds …

Doing the Rosette Flip

And then flip over and allow the other side to fry until lightly brown.

Upside-Down Rosettes

Remove from pan with your knitting needle/chopstick or tongs and allow to drain and cool, inverted with the hollow side down, on paper towels.

Sugar and Spice Make Rosettes Nice

After the rosettes have cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Rosettes freeze beautifully as well. Omit sprinkling them with the sugar and cinnamon, freeze for up to two months, defrost, and pop into the oven to warm before serving with powdered sugar and cinnamon.