A couple of weeks ago, I spent a weekend with two of my besties in Betty’s Bay, just outside Cape Town. On the Saturday morning we went out to the local flee market in Pringle Bay for a kid free, nag free wander around.
We wandered around the stalls including a second-hand stall selling old glasses, brass kitchen ware and retro ‘junk’. Looking through a “R5 each” box of oddments, I came across a rosette iron. Now, I’m sure that 6 months ago, I’d have not recognised what it was, it looks more like a branding iron than something you could bake with, but I’d seen some Instagram pictures of these delicate treats, and had researched them. I knew exactly what I had found and I was so excited.
While researching these Scandinavian treats, I’d also looked into buying my own iron and I’d come up with a blank locally. I thought I’d won the lottery when I discovered the iron in this oddment of cheap ‘junk’. I paid R5 for my iron ( about 30p or 40c)
Since my find, I’ve tried a variety of recipes and had varying results. Below is some of the things I learnt along the way. I’m super happy with my find and so are my family.
I’ve since found a set of these irons on Yuppie Chef , they are a lot more than R5, but they are worth it when you taste these yummy treats.
I now have a wonderful keepsake from a special weekend away!
- 2 eggs
- 30ml castor sugar
- 250ml milk
- 3 ml salt
- 250ml flour
- 3ml vanilla extract
- oil to fry
- icing sugar to dust
In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
Sift the flour into the milk mixture and whip until there are no more lumps.
Rest the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes, but not for too much longer. It’s best used fresh.
Heat enough oil in a medium pot to cover the base with about 3cm of oil. Use a piece of bread to test the heat of the oil. If the bread starts to bubble around the edge, the oil is ready.
Heat the iron in the oil for about 45 to 60 sec. Blot the iron on kitchen paper before placing it into the batter. I’ve found that if you don’t blot first, the batter comes off too quickly in the oil and you don’t get such a great shape. The batter should not cover the iron, but rather come up about 3/4 of the sides, so it can be released easily into the oil.
Place the iron back into the oil immediately and hold it there for a second or two. Shake the rosette loose and flip over in the oil to fry on the reverse side. Remove from the oil and place grooved side down on kitchen paper to drain the oil from the grooves.
Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Dust cooled rosettes with icing sugar and serve. Cinnamon sugar is also delicious.
If you don’t have an iron, fill a piping bag with the batter. Snip the bag and allow the batter to drizzle into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Rosette Cookies
- 2 eggs
- 30ml castor sugar
- 250ml milk
- 3 ml salt
- 250ml flour
- 3ml vanilla extract
- oil to fry
- icing sugar to dust
- In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
- Sift the flour into the milk mixture and whip until there are no more lumps.
- Rest the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes, but not for too much longer. It’s best used fresh.
- Heat enough oil in a medium pot to cover the base with about 3cm of oil. Use a piece of bread to test the heat of the oil. If the bread starts to bubble around the edge, the oil is ready.
- Heat the iron in the oil for about 45 to 60 sec. Blot the iron on kitchen paper before placing it into the batter. The batter should not cover the iron, but rather come up about 3/4 of the sides, so it can be released easily into the oil.
- Place the iron back into the oil immediately and hold it there for a second or two. Shake the rosette loose and flip over in the oil to fry on the reverse side. Remove from the oil and place grooved side down on kitchen paper to drain the oil from the grooves.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Dust cooled rosettes with icing sugar and serve. Cinnamon sugar is also delicious.
If you don’t have an iron, fill a piping bag with the batter. Snip the bag and allow the batter to drizzle into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
