italian dessert recipes

Pizzelle Recipe

"A traditional Italian cookie recipe"




pizzelle recipe The pizzelle recipe is one of many traditional Italian cookie recipes. Pizzelles remind me of something old ladies would serve at a tea party. They are light and crisp with out much meat to them. Pizelles get their dainty shape from a pizzelle maker.

An iron/pizzelle maker is much like a waffle iron. You put the batter on the iron. let it cook and remove. Now - I've not done this, but you *could* take the cookie off the iron and while it's hot roll it to make cannolli shells, or a cylinder and fill it. And you may wnat to keep that in mind if you are making these on a humid day. Humiditity is the enemy of a pizzelle baker. Youa re looking for a crisp cookie - but when humidity hits it's tougher to get. So - keep in mind the back up plan could be to shape. (Just a thought.)

Generally Pizzelles are served:

  • dusted with powdered sugar
    •  (traditional)

  • with jam on top
    •  (traditional)

  • with nutella
    •  (pushing the traditional envelope - but kids LOVE this!)





    Pizzelle Recipe

    One of many traditional Italian Cookie recipes


    YIELD - Makes 30 pizelle cookies

    Ingredients:

    * 3 eggs

    * 1 3/4 c. flour

    * 1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract (optional see substitution ideas below)

    * 1/2 c. UNSALTED butter (1/4 lb.)

    * 2 tsp. baking powder

    * 3/4 c. sugar

    * 1 tsp. vanilla extract



    Procedure

     * Beat eggs and sugar.

    * Add cooled melted butter and vanilla and anise.

    * Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture.

    * Drop the stiff batter by spoon.

    (Batter can be refrigerated and used at a later time)




    What is pizzelle maker?



    It's much like a waffle maker. It gives your pizzelle cookie that dainty lace shape.


    Can I substitute anything for the butter?



    Nope, not at all. No oil. No margarine. You need the butter to get the right texture and to get the pizzelle to brown. Besides, margarine is crap, you really weren't thinking of using any way. Were you?


    Can I leave out the anise?



    Yes! Even though I grew up with anise flavoring in many of Italian dessert recipes that were served, I'm still not a fan myself. You can leave it out or substitute:

  • almond extract


  • vanilla extract


  • lemon zest


  • orange zest




    • Back to the Pizzelle Recipe



    lisa gianotti I love sugar and I eat dessert EVERYDAY! Ok, not MASSIVE amounts. But I do have to finish off the evening meal with a little sweet something.

    When I was a kid my health conscience mother would ration my Halloween candy. Her mantra was, "white sugar will kill you". But my Italian grandma always told me, "Everybody needs a little bit of sugar." :-) So, to get my October Halloween sugar fix I will make the traditional Italian cookie recipe, Venetian Bones of the Dead. Italians make these for the Day of the Dead on November 2nd. So - hey, our holiday in America - Halloween is the closest.

    So - while the neighborhood is slamming down a bunch of gross mass produced candy on October 31st, I'll have a real goodie. Oh yeah, I'll have to post it too! (Eventually!) You know how it is. Work. Kids. Clean. Cook.



    I'll see if Bones Of The Dead is in my grandma's first recipe file she started when she married in 1932. Most of the recipes on my site came from her influence. If they aren't in her file - then I got them from her friends. And the remainder I experimented with adapting her style.

    I hope she looks down and smiles this Halloween.

    Lisa


    Would you like to share this page? You know how to do it! Thanks for sharing the sugar love!





    easy italian dessert
    Italian Dessert
    Recipes
    Enjoy This Site?
    Keep checking back!
    I update at least once a week.

    Recipes on this site are from family cookbooks, family traditions, or intentional adaptations from traditional recipes to add an Italian flair. If a recipe was adapted or used from another cook - it is mentioned on the recipe page and the recipe author is given credit.