CHRISTMAS RECIPES-INDIAN SHORTEATS-Rose Cookies

Christmas in India is never complete without the traditional shorteats, made only during the season in Christian homes. Kulkuls and rose cookies,find their place along with doughnuts and cakes. Large quantities are prepared and stored in airtight containers in the week before Christmas to be distributed among friends and relatives. Rose cookies and kulkuls are a hot favorite and here is the recipe for rose cookies. Be fore warned that this recipe calls for utmost patience and perseverance on your part. If you do not have these in good measure, you would do well to refrain from experimenting. However, you could get it right after a few attempts. Stick to small quantities until then and be prepared to throw away if unsuccessful. Making these is a bit tricky, but once you got them right, your family will enjoy the crunchy, crispy rose cookies, and ask for more.

Ingredients :

All Purpose Flour / Maida ----1/2 Kg

Rice Flour(optional)---- 1/4 Kg

Sugar---- 200 gm

Coconut Milk---- 1cup

Salt---- 1/2 tsp

Baking Powder---- 1 tsp

Eggs---- 6

Vanilla Extract ----1 tsp

Cake Seeds/Sesame seeds(optional)----few

Oil to fry : You can use Canola/Sunflower/Peanut Oil

Equipment Needed : Rose Cookie Mold - This is made of cast iron or non stick. The mold is floral shape with a strong wire handle attached for you to hold. The floral mold moves freely and is manipulated in and out of the batter or hot oil by holding the wire handle tightly.

Method :

Step 1

Extract coconut milk. Break a coconut, and grind the meaty portion in a heavy-duty mixer-grinder along with a little water. Add more water and strain this ground coconut mixture using a strainer. The white liquid that you are left with is the coconut milk. Measure and keep aside. You can use milk instead of the coconut milk for this recipe.

Step 2

Beat the eggs well and mix in coconut milk and sugar, until all sugar is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients given to form a smooth batter that is slightly thick. You may choose to add in the rice flour as well. This makes the rose cookies crunchier. If you are not familiar with coconut milk, don't despair. Substitute with milk. Coconut milk just makes it tastier.

Step 3

Heat oil in a deep Kadai(Indian Wok) or fryer, till smoking point.

Dip the empty rose cookie mold into the hot oil. When it gets sufficiently hot,, dip it into the rosecookie batter, about 3/4 ^ths way up the mold. It will make a hissing sound as the mold hits the batter. Quickly remove the mold from the batter and immerse in the hot oil again. Wait for a couple of seconds and then shake the mold to free the batter into the hot oil. The batter appears in the shape of the mold - a flower round. Repeat the process of heating the mold in the hot oil, dip half-way or three-fourths into the batter, and back to the hot oil. A couple of seconds and free another rosecookie from the mold. You will have to work quickly so as to have your fryer full of rose cookies all in about the same time so that they fry evenly on both sides. If you are a bit slow, your oil can get extremely hot and some of the rose cookies can burn quickly(because of the sugar content), even before you have completed putting in your batch of rosecookies. Deep fry until golden brown only and remove onto paper towels to absorb excess fat. Continue in batches until all the batter is exhausted.

Hot Tip : Your oil must be sufficiently hot before you dip the mold into it, and then let it hiss as you put it into the batter. Otherwise, the batter will not stick to the mold, but slip off. I use peanut oil or sunflower oil.