Fried Cookies: Rosette Cookies

Deep fried dough is one of the sinful delights we all crave. Whether it's doughnuts, funnel cake, or anything else we find at a fair, our taste buds do a little dance of happiness. You can make these things at home, if you like.


Rosette cookies are tasty and easy to make, but you will need some supplies that might not be in your cupboard. While the ingredients are simple and found easily enough in your pantry, you'll also need a deep fryer and rosette molds. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can use a pot of oil on the stove. Either way, you'll need to keep track of the oil temperature, so get a good deep fry thermometer. If your deep fryer has temperature control, you won't need the thermometer.


Rosette molds are metal shapes that attach to a rod. They are plunged into hot oil to create the delicate rosettes. You can find them at some specialty shops, or you can buy them online. Try Amazon, searching for a rosette set. Sometime you'll find a rosette and timable set, which includes patty shell molds. They're not overly expensive, and they're great fun.


Ingredients


2 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla


Preparation


Beat eggs lightly in a shallow pan that is slightly larger than your rosette mold. Add other ingredient and beat until smooth. Don't overbeat, but don't leave lumps in the batter either. Your batter should look very much like pancake batter. Place the batter in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This will give you crisper rosettes.


Heat oil to 375°F. Place the rosette mold in the hot oil and leave it there for at least 3 minutes to heat. 5 minutes is better, at least for the first cookie. Remove batter from fridge while the mold is heating. Remove the mold from the oil, allowing excess oil to drip back into the deep fryer.


Dip mold into the batter, but only to the depth of the mold. You don't want the batter on top of the mold or the cookie will be difficult to remove. Hold the mold in the batter for 30 seconds to allow the batter to adhere to the hot oil. Place mold, with batter, into the fryer. The oil will bubble. When bubbling slows down and the rosette is a delicate brown, the cookie is done. Lift the mold out of the oil.


The cookie may fall right off the mold as you life the mold out. This is okay, and even ideal. It makes the cookie much easier to remove. Simply grab some tongs and fish it out of the oil. Allow excess oil to drip off the cookie, then allow cookie to cool on a wire rack. Place a few paper towels under the rack to catch any oil.


If the cookie doesn't come off the mold, use a fork to gently remove it. Be careful or you'll damage the cookie. When the cookie is free, place the mold back in the oil for a minute to reheat. Continue making cookies until you have no batter left.


If desired, sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar. You can even add a little cinnamon.


Cookie can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days once they're completely cool and dry. You can even freeze them for up to 2 weeks. If you want to recrisp the cookies, heat in a 300°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes.