It’s the Holiday Historical Romance Cookie Hop!

December 11th, 2024 by Terri Brisbin & filed under Uncategorized | 13 Comments »

I have never been a great baker-of-cookies. Although I’m great at cakes and other things, the perfect cookies elude me! I produce excellent door stops filled with chocolate chips or smelling like gingerbread but most times I avoid baking them. Oh, there are one or two I can make that are edible, delicious even, but I can’t count on them actually coming out that way.

So, maybe that’s why Rosette cookies appealed to me? No dough to make or roll or drop. No worries over too-thin-or-too-thick. Waaaaay back in the married-with-young-children days, I felt pressured to find something when my younger sister became a pizzelle master, especially at the Holidays.

From researching their origins, these batter cookies are claimed by several countries including Sweden/Norway, Netherlands and Mexico – and more. Basically they are fried batter that are dusted with powdered sugar. There are special irons that hold the batter in shapes to be dipped in hot oil. If it sounds like funnel cakes, it’s because they are the same batter but one has a shape and the other is freeform.

Each Christmas season, my sister would bring out her pizzelle iron (like a waffle iron) and make piles of pizzelles (almost crunchy, flavored with anisette) and I would make piles of rosettes. And our families loved them both! It’s a good memory and I think of my sister every time I see a pizzelle…

The recipe? Easy peasy — but the irons aren’t easy to find —

Rosette Cookies

Ingredients: Makes about 30 cookies

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• vegetable oil for frying
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:

Beat eggs, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Add flour, milk, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place a wire rack over paper towels.

Heat the rosette iron in hot oil for 2 minutes. Lift the iron and let excess oil drain. Dip the iron in batter to 1/4 inch from the top of the iron, then dip the iron immediately into hot oil. Do not cover the whole form in batter!

Fry rosette in hot oil until golden, about 30 seconds.

Lift the iron out; tip upside down to drain. Use a fork to push rosette off the iron onto the prepared wire rack.

Reheat the iron in hot oil for 1 minute; cook remaining batter. Sprinkle rosettes with confectioners’ sugar.

Have you ever had Rosette Cookies (or Funnel Cake)? Or Pizzelles? Do you make any special family dessert for the Holidays?

If you comment below or email a comment to me at: contest@terribrisbin.com – you’ll be in a drawing for an ebook of any of my books along with a Scottish 2025 calendar – 2 winners will be chosen from those who enter!

And don’t forget to hop to all the Historical Romance Authors in the Holiday Cookie hop to find their cookies – and their giveaways! Any questions? Visit the FB event page – for more info and the complete list, too.

E-mail your completed list to Heather@HeatherMcCollum.com with “Historical Romance Authors are Sweet” in the subject line. Good luck!