08 Jun
Posted as Cookies
I have a huge soft spot in my heart for pizzelle. Growing up, it was extremely rare to walk into my grandma’s house and not find a large tin of pizzelles waiting to be eaten (they were usually sitting right next to the huge tin of biscotti that were also a staple in her house). My grandma doesn’t get to cook and bake as much as she used to, so I don’t feast on Italian baked goods quite as often anymore. I do try to bake biscotti on a fairly regular basis, but I have only made pizzelle a couple of times, always around the holidays.
I had just been thinking about how I was craving a good pizzelle when I went with my Chief Culinary Consultant to visit his Nana and she showed us a book she had received – Always on Sunday
For those that are not familiar, pizzelle are traditional Italian waffle cookies made from flour, eggs, sugar, some type of fat (butter, shortening or oil), and flavorings (the most popular are vanilla and anise). I have had many different pizzelles and depending on the ratio of ingredients you can get them paper thin and crispy, thick and soft, or any variation in between. This recipe (and my personal preference) is for pizzelle that are about in the middle in terms of thickness and have a nice crunch, but don’t crumble apart when you bite into them.
Notes on the recipe:
♦ You do need a pizzelle iron to make these, but they are fairly inexpensive. You can find many varieties on Amazon, as well as at stores such Bed Bath & Beyond and local Italian groceries (which is where mine came from).
♦ If your pizzelle iron is stainless steel, you will want to spray it lightly with Pam (or whatever oil spray you prefer) before you start. I find that one spray in the beginning is sufficient since the fat from the recipe usually will act as a non-stick agent as well.
♦ I find that when I drop the batter onto the iron, putting it slightly above the center of the circle ensures that the batter spreads the whole way to the back of the mold. For some reason if I drop it exactly in the center the back of the cookie doesn’t get fully molded (you can see this in the bottom right picture above).
♦ You can do many different things with pizzelle – different flavorings, roll them while still warm and fill with cannoli filling, or sandwich two between chocolate ganache or your favorite icing. I have even been known to eat a pizzelle with peanut butter spread on top. The possibilities are endless!
1 Year Ago: New York-Style Crumb Cake
2 Years Ago: Blueberry Crisp
More Italian Cookie Recipes:
Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
Italian Walnut Pillow Cookies
Chocolate Biscotti
Traditional Biscotti
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Pizzelle
Yield: Approximately 3 dozen
6 eggs
1 cup butter, melted
1½ cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour1. Beat the eggs on medium speed until pale and thick.
2. Add the melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the extracts and continue to mix.
4. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing until combined.
5. Preheat the pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer’s directions. When ready, drop batter by heaping tablespoon onto iron, close, and hold closed for as long as the manufacturer states.
6. When ready, open iron and remove pizzelle with a rubber spatula. Repeat until all batter is used.
Storing: Pizzelle can be stored in either an airtight container or cookie tin. I can’t tell you how long they last because I have never heard of pizzelle going bad!
(Adapted from Always on Sunday
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MMmmmmm I love making pizzelles. My dad and I would always make them together
So delicate-looking! Pizzelles definitely bring back nostalgia for me.
I don’t have a Pizzelle iron, but if I did I would definitely make these. I love them!
Stephchows & VeggieGirl – Pizzelles definitely evoke lots of great family memories,I’m glad I could bring back the memories for you as well!
Risa – hurry out and get a pizzelle iron. They are inexpensive and definitely worth it!
OMG! I used to make them all the time! I wonder where our machine is. They are so light and wonderful!
Great post, brings back great memories from my childhood!
These are beautiful! I would love to receive a stack of these with a bow tied around them!
Pizzelles are great. I’m really surprised they are not more popular but they have always been a Christmas staple in our family. You can also add a handful of anise seeds into your batter. I store them in air tight tins and after a day or two they are a little crispier and smell great. They go perfectly with a cup of coffee!
These are a holiday staple at my house. My mom adds a twist to some of them — I think she adds some coconut flavoring to the pizzelle, then she cuts them into quarters and dips the wide end into melted chocolate. Then she sprinkles them with some toasted coconut before the chocolate hardens. I have been known to eat tins full of those…
My husband is crazy about these! I don’t have a pizzelle maker, so I’ve never made them before, but I think I’ll need to get one before Christmas!
Delezzia – I love the idea of stirring in anise seeds. I love the flavor of anise so I am definitely going to try this the next time I make these.
Sarah – Wow, dipping pieces of pizzelle in chocolate?! I might have to steal that idea for the holidays!
Michelle, your pizzelle look amazing! I want to make some – now!
I always make Pizelle for Christmas – can’t seem to make enough. I either add anise extract or lemon zest to the batter. My recipe is very similar to yours except I use vegetable oil instead of butter.
Hmm..I think I will get out that pizelle maker…
So pretty! I love hearing about familiy recipes
These are so pretty!! I’ve been seeing pizzelles all over, I wish I could try them
Hi Avanika – You should definitely try them!
yes, the pizeelles are really beautiful. I was tempeted to buy the pan years ago but due to space constraint I had to forget it. End of this year, I’m upgrading my kitchen, it’s time to get the pizzelle pan in! Thank you for the recipe!
I don’t know what it is about pizzelle, but I just love them! I think the recipe you used is the exact same one I use when I make the traditional pizzelle. I tend to make them around the holidays, but seeing your post is making me crave them, so I may have to make some soon.
they’re so pretty!!
Hello!!! My daughter, who lives in San Diego, told me about your blog…particularlly this post which mentions my book, Always on Sunday, and my recipe for pizzelles!!! As you can imagine, I was very , very excited and honored. My book has been out for one year, and I just recently published a companion cookbook which consists of many of our treasured Italian family recipes. I would like to send you a copy of my first book and also the new cookbook. If you would kindly contact me,either on my website or e-mail, I’d love to chat with you!
Marcia A. Russotto
BTW, your pizzelles look absolutely gorgeuos!
Marcia
Has anyone made the batter a head of time and mad the pizzelle cookies the next day. Some days I have time to make the dough but not enough time to put the through the iron.
Hi Robin,
I have not made the batter ahead of time, but if you give it a shot I’d love to hear how it worked out!
I am a follower of your blog. I was just thinking about making pizzelles and remember you had a recipe. My question is all the recipes I have seen have baking powder Does add or not add the Baking powder make a difference?
Hi Jehan,
My recipe actually does not use baking powder; baking powder typically allows baked goods to rise while baking in the oven – think cookies that have a little puff to them instead of being totally flat. I don’t see any reason why baking powder would be needed in pizzelle. I hope you enjoy them!