Authentic Pizzelles
Submitted by MASTCOOK
Crisp, lacy Italian pizzelle cookies flavored with anise and lemon, pressed golden on a traditional pizzelle iron. These thin wafer cookies are an Italian-American holiday staple your nonna would approve of.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsIf you grew up in an Italian-American household, the sound of a pizzelle iron snapping shut is the soundtrack of the holidays.
These thin, crisp wafer cookies have been a fixture on Italian cookie trays for generations. The batter is simple: butter, eggs, sugar, flour, and the unmistakable combination of anise extract and lemon that makes a pizzelle taste like a pizzelle.
Each one gets pressed on a hot iron for just seconds per side, emerging with those gorgeous stamped patterns and a shatteringly crisp texture.
They’re not fussy. They’re not complicated. But try to eat just one. You can’t.
Kitchen Tips
- Let the melted butter cool completely before adding it to the batter. Hot butter will scramble the eggs and you’ll end up with a lumpy mess.
- Use about 2 tablespoons of batter per pizzelle and drop it right in the center of the iron. Too much and it oozes out the sides. Too little and you get a lacy skeleton.
- Check frequently by opening the iron every 20 seconds or so. Pizzelles go from golden to burnt in a heartbeat.
- Lay them flat on a wire rack to cool for classic flat pizzelles. Or drape them over a rolling pin while still warm to shape them into curved cannoli-like shells.
Variations
- Chocolate Pizzelles: Replace ¼ cup of the flour with cocoa powder and swap the anise for an extra teaspoon of vanilla.
- Cannoli Cups: While still warm, press each pizzelle into a muffin tin to form a cup shape. Fill with sweetened ricotta and mini chocolate chips.
Ingredients
Directions
Place butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until melted.
Remove from the heat and set aside until cooled.
Thoroughly stir together the flour and the baking powder in a bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.
Add sugar and lemon juice and continue beating until the mixture is light.
Beat in lemon zest and anise extract.
Add dry ingredients, beating lightly, until the mixture is smooth.
Lightly beat in the cooled butter until incorporated.
Lightly brush the interior surfaces of a seasoned pizelle iron with flavorless vegetable oil, being sure to cover all the grooves and indentations.
Heat the iron until a drop of water sizzles when sprinkled on the interior surfaces.
Remove iron from the heat and, holding it over waxed paper, drop about 2 tablespoons batter onto the center of one side.
Immediately close the iron and scrape off the batter that squeezes out the edges.
Place the iron on the burner and bake turning from one side to the other every 20 seconds and opening the iron frequently to check the wafer for doneness.
When it is light gold on both sides, quickly remove it from the iron, using tongs or a fork, and lay flat, on a wire rack until cool.
Repeat this process until all batter is used.
Store the wafers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
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