My friend Kara turned me on to rosette making this year, and we had so much fun making these light, crunchy cookies that we decided to make it an annual tradition.

Rosette making is easy, but it does require a set of rosette irons. My mother was so impressed with my uncharacteristic burst of domesticity that she bought me a set of rosette irons as a holiday gift, and now, I recommend rosette irons as a fun gift for someone who really likes to bake.

Google "rosette irons" or "rosette set" and you'll find a variety of sets ranging in price from $15 to $30.

This weekend, I gave boxes of rosettes to a bunch of friends, and a few of them have fond childhood memories of their grandmothers making rosettes. It turns out many European-American women whipped up batches, including my own Italian great-grandmother.

To make rosettes, you first create the cookie batter, attach one of the interchangeable iron molds to the end of the rosette wand, dip the mold into the batter and plunge it into a pot of hot oil for about a minute. What's not to like about a pretty, sugar-sprinkled, deep-fried cookie?