Christmas is approaching, and I'm trying to ensure that all my cookie recipes are here on the blog. This won't be the first time that I have declared my love for Italian cookies - mainly those that appear at wedding showers. My mother began to make these roughly 30 years ago, after enjoying them at the wedding shower being held for my brother and his wife who is part Italian. My mom's pizzelle appeared only once a year at Xmas. (By the way - why do we do that!? So many of my baking appears only at Xmas - no justifiable reason for that.) These pizzelle are loved by me and son #2 especially, and in recent years, now that I am the one making them, I have corralled him into helping. Truth be told, it can be a one person job - but that's what family memories are made of!
This is from one of my mom's recipe cards, so no idea who the originator is. Pizzelle is one of those recipes where every family has a version (871,000 Google search results). What I like about these is the texture - sort of thin and crisp. Even when home made, I am not fond of pizzelle that is thicker and more soft - sometimes even floppy when you pick it up. They are now also available in grocery stores. You couldn't pay me to eat those. Am also not a fan of those that are iced and/or decorated.
My mother's recipe has a combo of extract flavourings, whereas many online recipes seem to use only one. I have not bothered to experiment since I love these just the way they are! I may one day experiment with chocolate. Maria at She Loves Biscotti is one of my favourite food bloggers. A highlight of our connection was her observation that we had the same pizzelle iron. (You do need to buy that device. I had not known that they had different patterns.) Check out her recipe for a chocolate version. Her site also shares helpful photos and tips. I'll check this year, but this makes about 60 pizzelles; they store well in a tin in a cool place.
Getting Ready:
borrow or buy a pizzelle iron - 2020 Update - I finally decided to replace the old iron that was over 30 years old. Could not find a “Made in Italy” version (COVID affected imports); the new one - makes thinner pizzelles and is non-stick, BUT the heat toggles on and off and the results are inconsistent (though they still taste good); it also takes 35-40 seconds to make one. Email me if you want to know what brand to NOT buy. Note that while this timing is in seconds it adds up. If your machine makes two pizzelles every 22 seconds that’s half the time of this new machine.
purchase any flavourings you do not have on hand
bring eggs to room temperature
measure out dry ingredients and extract mixture
set up your assembly line - pizzelle maker, scoop, space for bowl of batter, several cooling racks, storage container
6 eggs (large)
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
Beat the eggs in a large mixer bowl using the whisk attachment, until they become light yellow and somewhat thickened. Add the sugar and continue beating until well incorporated. Slowly add the oil and continue beating at medium speed until incorporated..
1 TB orange extract
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp anise
Mix together and add to the above egg mixture.
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour (11.25 oz)
Quickly whisk the baking powder into the flour, and slowly incorporate this dry mixture into the egg mixture (above). Add small amounts on low speed, and after each addition increase speed briefly until mixed. You should end up with a fairly thick pancake-like batter. Some online recipes seem to produce more of a thick batter. You could add a bit more flour if you want that kind of consistency - though I have no experience with how that cooks up.
Note that the pizzelle maker I have is about 30 years old. I cannot predict how your maker, especially if new, will perform in the cooking stage. Be prepared to experiment with the first few until you sort out the desired quantity of batter and cooking time. This recipe has yielded about 6 dozen pizzelle (depending on the size).
No matter how carefully you put a measured amount in the centre of the pizzelle maker, it is unlikely that each will result in a perfect circle with perfect edges. Don't be concerned about that!
Method. Preheat the pizzelle iron. Mine has a sort of non-stick coating, but it has seen better days – so I spray a bit of "cooking spray" at the beginning and at various moments throughout only as needed (and usually it’s not needed). My device makes two at a time. Plop the batter in the centre of each design. Close the lid - there may be a fastener that keeps the lid on tight. Then start the countdown. Those 21-23 seconds fly by - don't get distracted doing other things.
How much batter? Instructions vary on how much batter to use. I used to use a 15 ml scoop, but found that it left messy edges so now I make them a bit smaller. I get success using roughly 2 teaspoons. More precisely, I use my 10 ml black-handled scoop - using the scoop action to easily drop it onto the pizzelle maker. Especially if you're on your own, a scoop is great - no need to fuss with a two-spoon method. Give the batter a stir from time to time.
Timing? The booklet that came with my device specified 30 seconds, but that resulted in a burnt pizzelle. On my old machine, 21-23 seconds works best. (see update above on new machine and timing) I use the stopwatch feature on my iPhone as the timer - and if you've updated to the latest iOS - you'll notice you can now time "seconds". Use a small offset spatula to lift them off the device and onto a cooling rack. They are floppy at first but very quickly dry and crisp up. As successive batches are cooking, I gradually move cooled pizzelles from the cooling rack closest to my workstation to others farther away.
Storage. These store well in metal cookie tins, in a cool place, with parchment or waxed paper between layers. I suspect they'd also freeze well, but haven’t tried this.
P.S. In 2023 I had to make these to fit into cookie boxes. I tried using less batter and making them smaller but the best solution was to cut them into 4 - done easily when they are right off the griddle.
Notes and Tips...
Oil - it could very well be that modern pizzelle makers are so "nonstick" that you do not need to use any cooking spray. Am noting here that when you research recipes, you may encounter a debate about whether or not to use oil or butter. For years our family uses a light spray of cooking oil as needed - it's just fine. Truth be told it only seems needed for the first two. There is a lot of oil in the batter and that seems to keep things keep the griddle well-oiled.
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