Christmas Rosettes

Grandma made rosettes every year and they are my Dad's favorite Christmas treat. 

 

I've had Grandma's rosette irons for probably 20 years now, and the tradition lives on. Rosette-a-thon 2023 is in the books!

 

Rosettes are a wonderfully thin and crispy treat.  They taste like fry bread without the dough, if that makes sense.  Just know, they are fantastic and everyone should have them every year.  Trust me, you must have these!

So, let's just jump right into the recipe and a step-by-step how to...

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Cup of Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Extract

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Flour (Sifted)

Vegetable Oil
Confectioners Sugar

First, combine your sugar, eggs and salt in a mixing bowl.  Beat it well.  I just use the whisk attachment on my mixer.  This batter is quite thin...just slightly thicker than the milk alone.

Add the lemon and vanilla extract, followed by the milk.  Beat this well to make sure everything is combined.

Finally, add the flour.  I put about half in, whip it for a minute, then add the other half.  Really whip this well, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.  You want this creamy smooth with no lumps at all.

While your batter is mixing, turn on your electric skillet (that's what I use) or a deep skillet on the oven.  Add about 2" of vegetable oil to the skillet and heat to 375 degrees.

When the oil is heated, place your rosette iron into the oil and let it heat up for about 2 minutes.  This is really important.  If you don't heat it enough, you will have a mess.  Consider yourself warned! 

Once your rosette irons are hot (remember, 2-3 minutes in the hot oil), dip them in the batter, going up about 3/4 of the way on the mold.  You don't want the batter to come over the top because then the rosettes won't release.

Immediately put the irons (with the batter) into the hot oil.  Don't try to shake the batter off!  So, do this order and do it quick...

• Heat
• Dip
• Get it into the oil

Repeat that over and over, because you want to move quick and not worry about drips!

 See that picture?  Within seconds, the batter will pull away from the rosette iron.  Give it another second or two and lift the iron.  The rosette should fall off.  If it sticks anywhere, just use a fork to pull it away from the iron.

Let them fry for 1-2 minutes on one side, then flip it with a fork for another minute or 2 on the other side.  You want these to be a pretty golden color.

 When they are done, remove from the oil and put on a paper towels.  I use magic paper towels.  They absorb calories with the oil.  Really.

Now, and this is really important again, heat the iron in the oil for about a minute or 2 before dipping in the batter again!  Take your time and be sure the iron is heated.  Trust me, if you don't you will have a mess of batter globbed onto your iron that you have to clean before you can continue.

It's not pretty.

While the rosettes are warm, sift confectioners sugar or cinnamon and sugar on top.  These can be stored in a Tupperware type of container for a week to 10 days and they'll still be nice and crisp.  Well, that's what I've been told.  They aren't usually around for more than a day or two!

Now, sit back with a cup of coffee, tea or your beverage of choice and enjoy your rosettes!  By the way, these are a wonderful treat to share with the neighbors.  Everyone absolutely loves them!

Grandma's Rosettes
Shared by Kim Mattina (www.kimmattina.blogspot.com)

2 eggs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Cup of Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Flour (Sifted)

Combine eggs, sugar and salt. Beat well. Add milk, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Beat until combined. Add in flour a little at a time. Continue beating until you have a smooth batter. It should be thin, like a crepe batter (you don't want it thick, like pancake batter...it should be quite thin).

Heat approximately 2" of oil to 375 degrees. I use an electric skillet rather than a skillet on a stove because it's easier to control the temperature.

Heat the rosette iron in the hot oil for about 2-3 minutes. When you remove the iron from the hot oil, allow excess oil to drip off, then dip the hot iron in the batter. Only come about 3/4 of the way up the iron (you don't want it to come to the top). Place the batter coated irons directly into the oil and hold it so that the iron doesn't touch the bottom of the skillet.

After about 10 seconds, you'll see the edges start to curl away from the rosette iron. Use a fork to gently pull the rosette away from the iron. Allow it to cook in the oil for approximately 2-3 minutes. Flip the rosette over and allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes.   Remove from the oil when they start to turn golden.

Reheat the iron in the oil for approximately 1 minute between rosettes. (Very Important to do!)

Place rosettes on a wire rack covered in paper towels to allow the oil to drain. (I use a rack for cooling cakes. I put a double layer of paper towels on top, plus 1 underneath.)

Continue until all rosettes are made. This recipe makes approximately 50.

Line rosettes on a clean paper towel and sprinkle (or sift) powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar on top while still slightly warm.