I started first with some more research. I looked up tips for deep frying, since this has been the hardest part of the entire project. I feel like I have the consistency of the dough just right and the date paste has a good texture and flavor. For the most part, my abilities to fill the inside of the dough with the date paste seems to belooking and feeling right. That part is fun and always reminds me of memories of childhood family diner trips, where we would order "pigs in a blanket." Anyways, the deep frying is tricky! What I found from doing research and reading different articles was that temperature is extremely important. Since my cookies keep burning quickly, I think that I am frying at too hot of temperatures. According to one of my research findings, if you put a wooden spoon in the oil, bubbles will form around the spoon which indicates the oil is hot. I think I have been waiting too long to drop the cookies and as a resut they burn fast. The oil has been quickly turning brown upon inserting the cookies, which is probably another indicator the oil is way too hot. Another tip I found was that any excess moisture causes the food you fry to bubble and the oil will sometimes spill out. The last attempt at frying, I remember that there were so many bubbles that I could barely see the cookies. It almost appeared that the oil was somehow evaporating. To prevent excess moisture from spilling out of the cookies, I will pat them dry with paper towels before placing them in the oil. Lastly, a final valuable tip I learned from my research I is the importance to "not overcrowd" your fried items. I will only add 2-3 cookies at a time instead of half of the batch.
So after setting up to bake and keeping all my new tips in mind, here is more of what the process looked like. Since the process is so similar to my previous posts, I wont go back into explaining the steps.
Drum roll please...
So, here is what the deep frying process looked like. Still a lot of bubble, but the oil was not burning this time, and the aromas in the kitchen at least smelled good! You can see below that the cookies are falling apart though. But, I am not counting this as an all out failure, because they have at least kept some shape to them. My first few attempts were like dropping Alka-Seltzer into water. Everything dissolved. This time, a little more form is being held.
I know the cookies below don't look very appealing. Maybe even, gross? But, I will am somewhat proud. The fact that I can hold one in my hand without it crumbling is a victory for me. Some of the date filling burned and they didn't taste like Meme or Tata's (grandma and aunt in French) Macrods, but at least I am learning and getting closer to my goals to make a tasty Macrod. I doused these interesting-looking (an understatement I know) cookies with honey and they were almost edible. At least parts of them tasted good!
I think this recipe is better than the one I have been using, and I am going to try it again. I am still struggling with the deep frying, but I am going to keep researching. George Porter, from my 20%time house, suggested I put the cookies in the fridge before frying them, so that they might hold their form better. I think this is a good idea and will try it next time. I think I might get rid of the rose water altogether, or just use a splash for flavor when making the dough. I put a lot in each attempt, and maybe the moisture from the water is making the cookies crumble as it evaporates in the oil. I am surprisingly feeling more like a scientist than a baker while working on this project! Overall, I am happy that this time I feel as though I have at least made some visible progress that tastes and smells like I am moving in the right direction.