We've been unable to find an item identical to ours online, but we did find a similar one in a 1902 cookbook (click here to view). This kitchen gem is a timbale iron (pronounced tim'-buhl), which typically consists of a long handle attached to an iron mold. The molds are available in a variety of shapes. The tool quickly evolved to allow different shaped molds to be screwed on and off the handle - making them interchangeable. Our mold is solid and welded to the handle with no moving parts.

The fluted end of the iron is dipped into batter, which adheres to the mold. The mold is then dipped into boiling fat or oil for a few seconds. As the batter cooks, it forms a pastry shell, which is detached from the mold after cooling. It's then filled with fruit, pastry filling, or even meat. Not surprisingly, timbale irons are still used today, mainly for pastries.

Rosette irons often were, and still are, sold in the same box with timbale irons. Unlike their "solid" counterparts, these "open-ended" molds form light sugary pastries shaped like the mold. Similar to timbale iron molds, rosette iron molds usually can be screwed on and off, making them interchangeable. It's not uncommon to find quadruple-pronged rosette and timbale irons, although single- and double-pronged irons are more common.

The pastries are of Scandinavian origin, but they are a tradition in Turkey, where they're known as "demir tatlisi." They're also popular in Iran, where they're called "nan panjara." To see what they look like, click here.