Rosette Cookies (Rosettbakkelse)

Light, crispy and subtly sweet, these Scandinavian rosette cookies are the perfect holiday treat.

In Norway, the idea of "sju slags kjeks" ("seven kinds of cookies") is the epitome of Christmas baking. Whether you bake with family or friends, you'll likely had a line-up of seven delicious traditional recipes that would be making their way to a cookie plate near you.

And one of the staples of my Norwegian cookie line-up is the rosette. These subtly sweet confections are fried to a crisp and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Think Scandinavian churro, if you will. That's right, delicious would be an understatement.

And after you give this recipe a try, be sure to check out my other Scandinavian recipes!

Equipment

While easy to make, rosettes do require a few pieces of specialized equipment that you'll want to have on hand.

• Candy or fry thermometer: Because the fry oil needs to be a specific temperature for this recipe, it's important to use a candy or fry thermometer to ensure it gets to and stays at 375F.
• Rosette irons: Rosette irons are widely available and come in a range of shapes and sizes. A good rosette iron will angle down at the end, have a wooden handle to insulate the iron from your hands, and be made of cast iron or aluminum. Some irons have more than one prong, but I personally prefer the single prong irons and they fit more bowl sizes.
• Pot for frying: For this recipe you'll need a medium size, deep pot that will fit 1-2 rosette irons side-by-side.
• Medium size bowl: I like to use a the smallest, deepest bowl that my batter and iron will fit into.
• Cooling rack: You'll need 1-2 cooling racks that can accommodate up to 20 rosettes with room for at least 4-5 to be side-by-side in a single layer at any given time.

Prefer to watch the process?

How to make rosettes

First, heat your fry oil.

In a medium size, deep pot, heat 2 ½" of fry oil to 375F.

You can use any fry oil that has a smoke point above 375F, although I personally prefer canola oil because of its neutral flavor. Other oils that are good for frying rosettes include sunflower oil, safflower oil and vegetable oil.

Second, make the batter.

As the oil nears 375F, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt. Add the remaining ingredients for the batter (flour, milk and vanilla extract) and whisk until just combined.

Finally, heat the irons and cook the rosettes.

Place your rosette iron(s) into the hot oil and allow to heat for about 3-4 minutes.

Working with one iron at a time, dip the iron into the batter so that ⅞ of the outside is covered. Be careful not to let the batter come up over the top of the iron, otherwise it will be very difficult to remove. Allow the iron to sit in the batter for about 5 seconds so it creates a good hold.

Move the batter coated iron over to the hot oil, submerge and allow to fry for about 30 seconds, or until light golden brown. When the rosette is cooked, it should all but drop off the iron.

If the rosette doesn't immediately fall off and you're sure it's thoroughly cooked, use a butter knife to gently push it off the iron.

Place the cooked rosette onto a paper towel lined cooling rack and return the iron to the hot oil for about 1 minute before reapply batter.

Dust the cooled rosettes with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Expert tips

• Properly heated irons: In order for the batter to cook and release from the rosette iron, it needs to be heated properly. Preheat your iron in the oil for about 3-4 minutes. You know the iron is hot enough when it makes a sizzling sound when dipped in the batter.
• Getting the batter to grip the iron: In order for the batter to stick to the iron, it needs a few seconds to bake on. I like to leave my rosette iron in the batter for about 5 seconds to make sure it has enough time to do this.
• Getting the rosette off the iron: Most of the time the rosette will practically fall off the iron. If this isn't the case, you should be able to gently work it off with a butter knife.
• Storage: Rosettes can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to three days. They can also be frozen in an air tight container for up to two months. To use, thaw at room temperature and then back at 175F until warm and crisp.

Common problems and how to fix them

Print

Recipe

If you liked this recipe, you might also like...

• Lefse
• Krumkake
• Suksessterte
• Bløtkake