Rose cookies
You won't believe what happened the first time I made these rose-shaped cookies: I started off with enthusiasm, kneading, coloring, cutting, rolling—everything was going smoothly until I tried to cut them and place them on the tray. I had made the dough a bit too soft, and it stuck everywhere; they didn’t look like anything at all... I’m not sure if it was the butter, too much heat in the kitchen, or if I just rushed it, but the "roses" turned out looking like tiny explosives. Now I've learned: patience is key, and the dough really needs to be kept cool; you can't just shape it straight away.
The actual working time is about 40-50 minutes, including kneading, coloring, cutting circles, and making roses. But you should also add at least another hour for chilling—without this break, don’t even start! From one batch, you can get about two medium trays, which means around 40-50 cookies, depending on how big or small you make them. In terms of difficulty... it’s not exactly child’s play, but it’s not complicated either; it’s the kind of relaxing manual work if you’re not pressed for time.
I make these cookies quite often, especially in winter when I feel like doing something with dough that looks nice and keeps me busy (and doesn’t require complicated ingredients; I usually have them at home). I love that they’re not overly sweet, they pair well with coffee, milk, or tea, and they look spectacular on a platter. Every time, people ask me how I made them and can’t believe they’re homemade, not from a bakery. Plus, the lard dough brings back that nostalgic taste of old-fashioned homemade cookies, slightly crispy on the edges and tender inside. I don’t think I've missed a Christmas in recent years without putting a tray of these little roses on the table.
To know exactly what you need:
2 eggs – they act as a binder, beautifully holding the dough together and helping it rise and with texture.
100 g lard or butter – this depends on your preference or what you have on hand. Lard makes the dough more tender, while butter gives it a finer taste. Honestly, I’ve made it with both, and I’ve never been disappointed with the result.
200 g sugar – this is a matter of taste, but for a classic cookie that’s not too sweet, this is the right amount. If you prefer it very sweet, you can add a bit more, but I don’t recommend it.
400 g flour – plain, white, regular. No one has tried it with whole grain or other types at my place, but I think it would turn out too dense.
1 teaspoon (tsp) red food coloring – to make the petals pink or red; otherwise, the rose looks like a pale peony. You can also try beet juice, but I’ll explain that in the tips section.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) cocoa powder – for the brown part of the dough, which is the base of the rose.
1 tablespoon baking powder – so they “puff up” a bit and don’t turn out like hard biscuits.
Vanilla (powder or extract) – for fragrance, so it doesn’t just smell like flour and lard.
1 pinch of salt – enhances the flavor, don’t skip this step!
Okay, here’s how I do it:
1. I start with the eggs. I crack them into a large bowl, add the sugar, vanilla, and that little pinch of salt. I whisk with a whisk or mixer for 2-3 minutes until the sugar dissolves somewhat and the mixture lightens a bit in color. I don’t whip it into a complete foam; that’s not necessary.
2. I add the lard or butter at room temperature. If you're using lard, it’s more malleable and incorporates easily. With butter, don’t overdo it—just enough so you don’t see chunks. Don’t insist with the whisk if it doesn’t mix; you can use a wooden spoon or your hands directly; it melts quickly and won’t be felt in the dough. This is where many make a mistake: if the butter is too cold, it can break the mixture, and you won’t be able to make the dough properly.
3. I sift the flour with the baking powder over the liquid mixture all at once. I mix with a spatula or wooden spoon, and when I can’t do that anymore, I use my hand. It kneads quickly; it shouldn’t become super elastic like bread dough, but firm enough that it doesn’t stick too much to your hand, nor should it be dry like playdough. Each flour is different; if it seems too soft, you can add a maximum of 1-2 extra tablespoons, but don’t overdo it.
4. I divide the dough into three roughly equal pieces. In the first part, I add the red food coloring—make sure to mix it thoroughly, maybe with gloves if you don’t want to have pink hands for days. Sometimes I also add a bit of gel coloring for a more intense color, but if you only have liquid, that’s fine. In the second part, I add the tablespoon of cocoa—this doesn’t need to be mixed too much, just enough so there are no white spots. The third piece stays plain, without anything extra.
5. I wrap the pieces of dough in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for an hour. If you’re in a hurry, at least 30 minutes, but that’s not ideal because you won’t be able to shape them well. You can’t argue with this step; otherwise, they’ll spread out on the table, and you won’t be able to shape them at all.
6. After they’ve chilled, I take out one piece at a time and roll it out on a floured surface as thin as I can, about 3-4 mm. Not thicker, as they puff up while baking and look like autumn peonies.
7. With a small glass or round cutter (I once found a cutter with wavy edges, which looks nice, but it’s not mandatory), I cut out circles from each dough. For one rose, you need 4-5 circles, but it’s okay if you use fewer or more.
8. I place the circles slightly overlapping, like scales, and roll them up carefully. Don’t roll too tightly, as the dough can tear or stick together. I cut the roll in half with a sharp knife, and now you have two “roses.”
9. I place each half on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cut side down, so the rose stands stable. If you want, you can gently open the petals with your fingers, but don’t tear them.
10. I bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for about 18-22 minutes, depending on the oven. They shouldn’t brown too much; they should remain light in color, slightly golden at the base.
11. I take them out of the oven and let them cool on the tray for a few minutes; otherwise, they’ll break.
12. If you want them to look even more festive, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top once they have completely cooled.
Practical tips and observations:
1. The most important thing is not to skip the chilling step. Even if the dough seems firm enough at first, it melts quickly in your hands, and you won’t be able to work with it.
2. If you notice that the coloring isn’t sticking or you’ve added too little, don’t try to add more to already kneaded dough; it will turn out marbled, not uniform. It’s better to leave it as is or add some beet juice, but little by little.
3. If you added too much flour, it’s not a tragedy; they will just turn out a bit harder after baking.
4. When rolling out the dough, always have flour on the table and on the rolling pin, but don’t overdo it; otherwise, you’ll stick too much flour, and they’ll dry out.
5. Sometimes I also add a bit of grated lemon zest to the plain dough, which gives it a nice aroma, but it’s not a must.
Substitutions and adaptations:
- Instead of food coloring, you can try beet juice (freshly squeezed or from a can, but make sure it’s not salted). Be careful, as it doesn’t color as intensely and sometimes loses its color while baking. However, for kids or if you want something more natural, it works too, but you’ll end up with pale pink roses instead of bright red.
- For a version without lard, use butter with 82% fat, not margarine.
- If you need a gluten-free version, I’ve tried it with gluten-free universal flour, and it turned out quite well, but the quantity needs to be adjusted (it might require more liquid, so try not to add all the flour at once).
- You can also add other flavors—some rum, almond, or even orange, if you don’t want just vanilla.
- For a more interesting look, you can alternate circles of different colors or make each rose from two types of dough instead of just one.
Variations:
- I’ve also tried using Dutch-process cocoa powder, which makes the base even darker and richer in flavor.
- If you don’t feel like making roses, you can simply make circles and bake them as is; they turn out to be cute bicolored cookies.
- You can place a small piece of thick jam or a tiny cube of chocolate in the middle of the rose before baking—it doesn’t melt too much, but feels nice in the center.
Serving ideas:
- On a platter for holidays or birthdays, with powdered sugar and some mint leaves for decoration.
- They pair excellently with strong coffee and are also suitable for lunch boxes or picnics.
- Sometimes I drizzle a bit of warm jam on top in a thin stream to make it look like “dew” on the petals (well, when I have the patience to play with them).
Frequently asked questions:
1. Can I use only butter and skip the lard? Yes, definitely. You can use just butter; the dough turns out very good, though it might be a bit crunchier, not as tender, but the difference isn’t huge. For that childhood taste, lard is essential, but not everyone prefers it.
2. Can the recipe be made without eggs? I tried it once, using 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch instead of eggs; the dough was okay, but it didn’t rise as much and was a bit more crumbly. But yes, it works for those with allergies.
3. What do I do if I don’t have food coloring? It works without it; you can make simple, bicolored roses with the cocoa part and the white part. You can try beet juice or concentrated pomegranate juice (but more subdued).
4. What do I do if I added too much flour and can’t work with the dough anymore? Try to salvage it with 1-2 tablespoons of sour cream or milk. Knead gently and see if it softens, but don’t dilute it too much.
5. Can I use other types of sugar? I’ve tried using brown sugar, and it works well, but you won’t have that light color in the dough; everything will take on a beige hue. If you don’t mind the appearance, you can use it without any problems.
6. Why do the roses spread out and flatten while baking? Either they didn’t chill long enough, or you added too much fat, or the butter wasn’t cold enough. Next time, leave them in the fridge longer or try not to knead too much after adding the fat.
Nutritional values (approximate):
From one batch (40-50 pieces), about 80 kcal per cookie. Each has around 2 g of protein (from the egg), 3 g of fat (from butter/lard, egg), and 12-13 g of carbohydrates (mainly sugar, flour). It’s not exactly “diet-friendly,” but considering how small the pieces are, don’t panic—two or three cookies with coffee won’t ruin your diet. If you want to make them lighter, you can reduce the sugar or use more egg whites and less butter/lard, but you might lose some of that nice texture. They are, of course, calorie-dense desserts, so don’t binge on the whole tray while watching a series without blinking… but they’re not as heavy as cream-filled pastries. The plus is that you have control over the ingredients; you don’t use margarine, weird colorants, and they’re not soaked in syrups.
How to store and reheat them:
Stored in a metal tin or a large jar with a lid, they easily last for 10 days, maybe even longer if you don’t eat them all first. Once completely cooled, they shouldn’t be refrigerated, as they will harden too much. If you made too many and want to keep them longer, you can freeze the raw dough, well-wrapped, and then let it thaw in the fridge a day before baking. Baked cookies don’t really need reheating; but if you want to “revive” them after a few days, you can put them in the oven for 1-2 minutes at 100 degrees, but not more, or they will dry out. I recommend not keeping them in humid conditions, as they will soften and become chewy.
That's how I make rose cookies, and every time I put them on the table, they disappear quickly—I don’t get to tell the whole story until the last one. If you have the patience to shape them and don’t skip the chilling step, you really can’t go wrong.
1. We mix the eggs with the sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. 2. We add the lard/butter and mix until homogeneous. 3. We add the flour along with the baking powder (both sifted) and knead a relatively firm dough. 4. We divide it into 3 parts, in one part we add the red coloring and knead until it is mixed with the whole dough, and in the second part, we add the cocoa and knead. 5. We let it chill for 1 hour. 6. We take the chilled dough balls and roll them out on a floured surface, then using a cutter, we cut circles which we place in a row, slightly overlapping. 7. We gently roll and cut in half. 8. We place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20 minutes.
Next time I will try to use beetroot juice instead of coloring.
Ingredients: 2 eggs 100 g lard/butter 200 g sugar 400 g flour 1 tsp red food coloring 1 tbsp cocoa 1 tbsp baking powder vanilla a pinch of salt
