Christmas is just over ..... but my hang over is still on. Out of the various snacks i prepared, i just left out Achappam. I just think it is difficult and i keep on postponing. This time i took the Rosette iron from my mother in law and was searching for the recipe. The proportion should be correct, otherwise, the batter wont leave the iron. That is when i came across the European version which used flour / maida instead of rice flour. Since Achappam requires fresh rice flour you dont have any short cut using store bought roasted rice flour. So the Scandinavian version was just right for the lazy me. I tried it today and the first one was a flop. I think i overheated the iron before dipping it in batter. Rest is what you see in the picture.
This is just another reason i would like to say never give up. Even if you follow a recipe strictly, sometimes we should use our intuition and logic to get it right. Not for just recipes, but everything in life - I believe.
You can prepare these rosette cookies if you have a rosette iron. If you dont have one, use a cookie cutter of any shape (star, flower, heart, rounds, ovals, etc) and hold it with a tweezer.
ingredients for the rosette cookies
flour / maida - 150 gms
egg - 1 large
milk - 150 ml + 25 ml if need be
vanilla essence or rose essence - 3/4 tsp
salt - 1/4 tsp
sugar - 1 tsp
vegetable oil for frying
ingredients for dusting
sugar - 4 tbsp
cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
method
Take a narrow bowl. Just wide enough to dip the rosette iron / mould. Place the egg, salt and sugar in it and whisk. Add milk little by little until all milk is used. Add the flour little by little as done for a pancake until the flour is fully used. Add the essence. I used rose essence. You can use according to your choice. Place the batter in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a deep pan. When hot, place the iron in the oil. Make sure the iron is moist free, otherwise you can see some explosions. When the iron is medium hot, say 1-2 minutes, lift it from oil, shake off excess oil and place it in the batter, such a way that the batter does not cover the top of the iron. (If it is covered the cookies wouldnt leave the iron while frying). Place the iron covered with batter in the oil and gently shake it continuously. Also, use a broad knife to help the rosette cookie leave the iron. Gently slide it away from the iron. Do the entire process in low to medium heat, otherwise, the cookies will turn dark. Once the rosette is golden brown drain it from oil. Repeat the process. You may not be able to use all the batter to prepare cookies because the batter needs some elevation to coat the iron. Use up the balance batter by spooning it into oil.
For the dusting - Place the sugar and cinnamon in a mixer and powder it. Place the sugar mix in a sieve and dust it generously or as per your taste.
