This traditional Italian Cookie can be very versatile. They're great on their own, but even better served with ice cream, fruit or other desserts. Use them to make ice cream sandwiches or as an edible dessert cup. Anise is the traditional flavor, but try other extracts as well, like lemon, vanilla or almond. Cheri Sicard shares this fabulous recipe!
Make sure you have a pizzelle iron
An extra piece of kitchen gadgetry called a pizzelle iron is necessary to make these cookies. These hinged baking devices come in both electric and non-electric models (which use the heat from the stovetop).
I find an electric iron, which resembles a waffle iron, except the design of the cookie, is much more ornate with Pizzelles, makes the process much easier. There is a knack to making these cookies, you may break or crumble a few at first, but again, an electric iron makes the process much, much easier. When still warm, you can mold the Pizzelles to make small "dishes," or tubes to whatever else you can create.
Pizzelles
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon anise (or other) extract
Directions:
Beat eggs slightly. Continue beating while gradually adding the sugar. Beat until smooth. Mix flour with baking soda and mix into egg mixture until smooth. Dough should be thick but somewhat sticky, so you can drop it from a spoon. Bake according to the instructions given with your pizzelle maker.
Molding pizzelles
You can use all kinds of ordinary items to mold the still warm cookies. Our Misto Oil Sprayer got a new use when we laid it on its side and used it to make the taco shell shaped cookie that we filled with strawberries and whipped cream for the first photo on the page above. Small glass dishes were used to mold Pizzelle ice cream sundae dishes. Use your imagination and have fun making tasty, decorative desserts.
