Italian Pizzelle with Anise
Not Going to Say My Pizzelles Are Better, But...
If you've ever experienced an Italian Christmas celebration, you've probably had a pizzelle, and if you haven't, you're missing out! Grandma Fran introduced me to the traditional Italian pizzelle and I just love them. My recipe is a slight adjustment to her original recipe but they hold their shape beautifully which means that I can fill them with ice cream and even pack them up as gifts for the holidays. I've introduced them to everyone who's been lucky enough to receive a box of cookies from me (the list gets bigger every year)!
What Is A Pizzelle?
The pizzelle is the oldest known cookie, according to What's Cooking America. It's a delicate and simple waffle cookie with anise flavoring. They look like lacy snowflakes dusted with sugar and thanks to a pizzelle press (kind of like a waffle iron), it's easy to make a perfect pizzelle.
How to Make Pizzelles—Tips and Tricks
A hot pizzelle right out of the iron is such a treat, but a cooled pizzelle is just as tasty and the cookies travel well so they make great gifts for the holidays.
Typically, pizzelles are made from batter like you're making waffles. The dry ingredients are whisked together with the wet ingredients and the pizzelle batter is poured into the pizzelle press. Because I modified Grandma Fran's recipe, my pizzelle recipe is more of a dough that you can portion out. The result is a sturdy pizzelle that you can use to make all sorts of desserts like Nutella sandwich cookies or even ice cream sundaes—I think she would have approved!
Pizzelle Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- A few drops of anise oil
- 1 teaspoon anise seed
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon canola oil to gently coat pizzelle maker
- Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar. Add the melted butter with the vanilla, anise oil, and anise seeds. In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together. Combine the flour mixture with the egg mixture until incorporated.
- Before plugging in the pizzelle maker, use a paper towel dabbed in the canola oil to gently coat the whole press pattern. Portion dough into 11⁄4-ounce pieces. Roll portions into a ball, then slightly flatten the balls with the palm of your hand.
- Heat pizzelle press according to manufacturer’s directions. When the press is ready, start making your pizzelles. Place the dough on the press and close. A light will go on to alert you when the pizzelle is done. I have found it takes about 35 seconds to cook. The cookies should be a light golden color, not dark brown. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack by lifting them up with a thin metal spatula. Use scissors to cut off any unwanted edges.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle the pizzelles with confectioners’ sugar. Tips on using a pizzelle iron: Using a pizzelle iron is not difficult, but it takes a little practice and patience to get the cookies to the ideal color and shape. Place your machine in a location where it is easy for you to work with. Before plugging it in, dab a little oil on a paper towel and gently coat the whole pattern. Plug in the iron. An indicator light will go on, alerting you that it is hot enough to use. You may need to adjust the placement of the dough on your machine to make sure it spreads evenly. If you find that the dough moves a little forward when closing the lid, you can compensate for it by shifting the dough slightly toward the back of the press. Depending on the type of pizzelle iron you have, you may need to adjust the amount of dough. CucinaPro™ makes a small version that takes about 3⁄4 ounces of dough. VillaWare™ makes a traditional size pizzelle iron.
