National Pastry Day

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By Diane Forrest,

I was talking to a friend the other day about childhood Christmas memories, and he told me about these waffles his mother would make and deliver during Christmas time.  He got in so much trouble one year because he ate the whole batch.  We were trying to figure out what they were called, he wanted to have some again.  He explained that they were made using an iron, but the iron was dipped in hot oil.  It made a snowflake shape, and was dusted in powdered sugar.  After doing some online searching we were able to locate the iron and recipe for his delicious childhood memory.  It is actually a Scandinavian Christmas cookie; however they can be made any time of the year.

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Just saying the word pastry brings all types of images to mind, most of them being that they are delicious and extremely hard to make.  Pastry simply refers to any type of baked good, from a pie crust to baklava and éclairs.  Pastries have been around since 5b.c. It is believed to have been created in the Mediterranean, and then made popular in Western Europe by the Crusaders.  In the 16th century the first recipe was discovered.  They have been adapted over time to the pastries we have today.

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Today is National Pastry Day.  I have included the recipe for the Scandinavian Rosettes, you will need to find a rosette iron, I found mine on Amazon.com.  So today, why not try something new or different for the holidays, and if you do not cook, stop in somewhere for an éclair or piece of pie, and celebrate National Pastry Day.  Also you can click on the link below and see some incredible pictures and recipes for other delicious pastries.

Scandinavian Heirloom Cookies

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Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• peanut oil for deep frying
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Beat eggs slightly. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and salt. Add flour and milk alternately, blending until smooth. Stir in vanilla. The batter should be about as thick as pancake batter. If it isn't, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk at a time. Heat 3" of oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees. (A deep frying thermometer is very helpful, and I highly recommend it.)
2. Place a rosette iron in the hot oil for 60 seconds. There's no way to take the temperature of the iron; it just has to be hot. Dip the hot iron into the batter, making sure NOT to let the batter run over the top of the iron. If you do, the rosette will be impossible to remove. Immerse the coated iron in the hot fat and fry 25-30 seconds until light brown. Slip off onto a paper towel.
3. On large plate, combine 1 cup sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Dip rosettes in this mixture while still warm. You can also sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Don't skip this step - the cookies aren't really sweetened until they're coated in some kind of sugar! Makes about 36 rosettes

For more pastry ideas and recipes, visit this site: http://www.frenchpastrychef.com/pastry/card0.shtml