Rosettes require a special iron and a bit of patience to make. The results are worth it, though; the cookies are unusual and lovely in presentation, like delicate, ethereal flowers or snowflakes, with a satisfyingly crispy texture and subtle flavor. I think my original recipe came with my mother’s iron, but there are many cross-outs, additions and notes on the card.
Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, eggs and milk until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes or overnight. Batter should be smooth and free of lumps. (Strain if necessary.) If refrigerating overnight, bring batter back to room temp before frying.
Have ready a two sheet pans, one covered with a section of newspaper and then paper towels, the other with paper towels.
Heat oil to 370 degrees, using a candy-deep frying thermometer. Oil should be deep enough to completely cover the mold but should not come up over half the pan.
Dip the mold in hot oil for about 20 seconds. Remove mold and blot on first sheet pan. Dip mold into batter, about 3/4 of the way up. Do not let batter cover the top of the mold. Hold the mold in the batter for about 5 seconds.
Submerge mold into hot oil. Fry until delicately browned. If you dip the mold a couple times within the batter, the rosette may release from the mold into the oil. If it does, continue frying until done, scoop it up with a serrated spoon and drain it, upside down, on the first sheet pan. If the rosette doesn't release in the oil, remove from the oil, gently shake off any oil back into pan, and then hold the iron over sheet pan and gently remove it with a fork. Drain it upside down.
As the rosettes cool, remove them over to the second sheet pan.
Store rosettes in single layers in waxed paper-lined plastic boxes that are tightly sealed. (I save food-safe silica desiccants the come in other products throughout the year and put them in the boxes.)
When ready to serve, sprinkle with the powdered sugar.
While frying the rosettes, you may have to adjust the temperature of the oil. If it's too cold, the rosettes will be greasy-sloggy; if it's too hot, they'll burn.
