Pizzelles

Pizzelles are wonderful Italian wafer cookies. They are best eaten the day– even within a few hours– after being made, so I usually make them for a crowd. I have also kept the batter in the refrigerator and made them for dessert over several nights- cooked to order. While warm, they can also be molded into cannoli or mini ice cream cone forms. They remind me of snowflakes, so I usually make them in the winter! 🙂 This year, I made them to bring to a friends’ New Year’s Eve party to serve with Pistachio Semifreddo. Pretty and delicious!!

It is tricky to find the perfect amount of dough to use for each cookie, and to get the perfect placement of the dough in the iron, but the edges can be easily trimmed with scissors while the cookie is still warm. I have had success by placing the dough slightly off-center, slightly toward the hinge of the iron before closing. This recipe is adapted from Baking with Julia (Child!), contributed by Nick Malgieri, via PBS Food. I substituted vanilla extract for the anise. It is best to sprinkle the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still warm.

Yield: About 2 Dozen Wafers

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• pinch of coarse salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure anise extract or 1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 T anisette)
• 3 ounces (6T) unsalted butter melted and cooled
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the pizzelle iron (I preheat mine set on 4 1/2), and grease or spray it if suggested in the manufacturer’s instructions. (I have a non-stick iron (which doesn’t need to be greased) which is wonderful & less messy!)
2. Set out a cooling rack for the baked cookies.
3. Put flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk to blend; set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and salt until foamy, then gradually whisk in the sugar. (I often use a hand mixer.)
5. When mixture is smooth, whisk in the extract, followed by the melted butter.
6. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the reserved dry ingredients.
7. Using about 2-3 teaspoons of batter for each pizzelle (I have success using a small (1 T/0.5 oz) cookie scoop), place batter in center of the iron (slightly toward the rear/hinge of the iron), close, and bake about 2 minutes, or until golden and firm. Don’t open the iron until the steam stops.
8. As soon as the pizzelle is baked, remove from the iron to the cooling rack and continue making pizzelles with remaining batter. Should any of the pizzelles need coaxing to come off the iron, nudge them with a spatula or fork and then peel them off with your fingers.
9. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving (better while warm).

Note: If you want to cut the pizzelle into quarters or roll them into cones (or trim them to perfect their shape), do so the instant they come off the iron, piping hot and still pliable.

One Year Ago:

• Tutu’s Super-Crispy Sugar Cookies
• Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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