Making Pizzelle

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Recently I bought a pizzelle maker and I couldn’t wait to break it in. I felt very ambitious and had visions of making all different flavors like anise, chocolate, citrus, cinnamon, orange and rum, almond and some even dipped in chocolate and then into nuts, oh yes and sprinkles for the kids!

Well I didn’t get all that far because making pizzeles are very time consuming!
I have a close friend Jean who can make these in her sleep! Pretty much every event in life like holidays, parties, funerals, or just a few girls getting together you can always count on Jean to bring her pizzelles.

Pizzelle making is a true labor of love, you have to be patient, something I need to work on when baking or making cookies!

I followed the recipes that came with my pizzelle maker because they’re all basically all about the same, flour, butter, eggs, sugar and the flavorings of your choice. After I did one batch I was pretty much done! I called Jean for advice and she gave me some good tips, like don’t be in a hurry, allow a couple of hours, sit down and watch TV while you’re making them.
My recipe said to drop a tablespoon of batter behind the center of the pattern, I did that and they were too big, batter was oozing out the sides and running into each other, I was ready to give up they looked terrible!
Jean said to use a heaping teaspoon of the batter ( which comes out pretty thick) and place it in the center, I did what she said and they turned out great!

I’ve always loved the the designs on pizzelle irons, they make beautiful crispy wafer cookies and always look gorgeous set out on a platter.

Right now I’m hiding these in a big tin and plan to bring them out as part of our Thanksgiving Day dessert. I made traditional anise flavor and chocolate ones as well.

I made the sprinkled variation for my two granddaughters simply by taking the heaping teaspoon of dough and rolling it into a bowl of sprinkles right before you place the ball of batter onto the iron.
My advice is to do the sprinkle ones last so that you won’t find any tiny sprinkles on your other flavors.

My oldest granddaughter was off of school the day I made these so she taste tested a few and gave me thumbs up all the way, so did her dad!

Jean says don’t put the powdered sugar on until the day you’re going to eat them, if you have a cool place store them in a can, they last for weeks and still stay crispy, no need to freeze.

Here’s the basic recipe with variations:

 

 

6 eggs** 1 cup of sugar** 1 cup of melted butter** ( Jean says she prefers using oil and stopped using butter a long time ago because they turn out better, she uses canola oil) **2 teaspoons vanilla** 3 cups flour** 1 tablespoon baking powder**

 

( For anise flavor add 1 teaspoon of anise seeds and 2 teaspoons of anise extract) if you use pure anise oil, use much less like 1/2 teaspoon it’s very potent.

 

( For chocolate flavor add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder)

 

 

Melt butter  If using, and set aside. Beat eggs and sugar until light yellow, 2-3 minutes. Add butter or oil, vanilla or other flavorings. Beat until blended. Sift together the ingredients, fold until just blended, add remaining flour and fold again until just incorporated.

 

 

Heat pizzelle iron, place 1 heaping teaspoon of batter in center of pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 30-40 seconds. Remove and cool on a rack. Repeat with remaining batter. This could make six dozen depending on how deep your grooves are on your iron. ( Jean triples this, if you’re going to do it you might as well make a bunch!)
Have fun!

 

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Comments

  1. I make MILLIONS of these! I would not recommend using oil instead of butter, the flavor suffers terribly. Using the oil version of the flavorings is definitely the way to go though – much more intense and delicious! They can be stored in tins practically forever, getting crisper as they age.

  2. So glad I came across this site. I purchased CucinaPro a while back and want to include this cookie in my Christmas cookies, so many good tips just wondering if I can use coconut oil instead of butter.

  3. My Pizzelles always turn soft?

  4. elza maria silva says

    Gostaria de comprar este Te flor para fazer Pizzelle. São lindos e encantadores !!!

  5. I like my Cucina Pro shiny (not Teflon) iron. It is the same as the old VillaWare which is no longer available. I use it in the USA. But I spend months in the southern Piedmont of Italy, where, surprisingly the cookie is unknown. It exists in the Canavese ( far northern Piedmont ) under the name canastrelli. I am looking for an electric iron using Italian electrical current.

  6. When I was little my mom mom would send pizzelles and biscottis by the dozens to us up in MN. the recipe she had was passed down the family taught to her from her mother who brought it from the old country. When she passed away that recipe on it’s tattered stained paper and her piizzelle iron were the two things I wanted most! im glad I can make those pizelles and remember the taste as if she had made them herself. Had to share my story just like the rest of you, as this cookie brings wonderful memories to it seems like everyone.

  7. I make pizzelles for every Christmas Eve dinner. I bought a fantastic pizzelle maker from amazon. I use a 1/2 tablespoon scoop and it works perfectly. I place that btter just a little to the left of center. I always use butter. Althought ths year I might try to mak e the chocolate pizzelles. They look yummy. Maybe 2 batches?

  8. Tracy Drabenstadt says

    my recipe calls for Crisco instead of butter and they turned out marvelous

  9. Tony in Cleveland says

    My Grandma P added orange & lemon zest to the batter….

  10. I too have a pizzlle maker that has been gathering dust. Perhaps this is the time to dust it off. Thanks for you insights, Marie.

  11. I finally broke down and purchased a Pizzelle Iron to make Pizzelle cookies with. My Mom and I used to make them every single year for the Holidays at our home, and give them out to all the family. Now that I have one , and I am going to make them, I would like to surprise my brothers and sister and other family/friends with a batch of pizzelles but I am wanting to ship them… USPS. Any Ideas or suggestions on How I could mail them, without them crumbling in the shipping process?? Any Help would greatly be appreciated. Thank you *Bari *

    • Bari, I would put them in several smaller cookie tins not overcrowding them, stuff the top so they won’t move. Place them in a box tightly with bubble in between so the tins don’t move around. Good luck, they’re a pretty fragile cookie!

      • Thank you so very much Marie for your response, I really appreciate your help. I will definitely do that. : ) I just pray that they make the trip lol My daughter said to me who lives in N.J. she say’s… “It’s o.k. everyone just breaks them apart when they get them anyway to eat them” … hahaha. Gotta love kids… lol But hopefully they will survive Thanks again.

  12. Barbara Graziani says

    I have a VillaWare Non-Stock Pizzelle maker I bought at Amazon.com.
    They run about $65.00 or less possibly. I love mine. I make Pizzelles for the grandchildren about every two weeks.
    I just learned something new – we have high humidity and one article said to cool the pizzelles on a wire rack and put them in a air tight can as soon as they are cool enough to touch. I use a minute-minder and bake mine for 28 seconds in the Pizzelle maker. You never have to CLEAN the pizzelle maker, just wipe it off with kitchen towel after it completely cools.

  13. I got hooked on pizzelle by a friend whose grandmother made several hundred each Christmas. (She’s Croatian, but there’s a lot of cross fertilization of recipes in Europe.) I got my first pizzelle iron on eBay–there are so many beautiful designs you could end up with a dozen irons. Plus, pizzelle are the gateway drug, but from there you can go to krumkake, gaufrettes, goro, oblaten, etc…

    Your instructions and pictures are the best I’ve seen.

    Thanks! –Cristina

  14. Your pizzelles look perfect, Marie, especially for your first time! I realized after I made them for the first time with my new machine, that it only cooked on one side. I sent it back and got another one and it is much better now making them. I was just thinking about breaking it out this weekend and now you have inspired me.

  15. These look so good!

  16. These look so delicious and SO beautiful. How great that your grand daughter was involved in all the fun! I may just have a new gadget on my Christmas list 😉

  17. This is definitely a family favorite from my childhood too. I love the traditional anise. I also do a lemon & almond one.

    Have fun, I am going to have to break my machine out when we get home from Montana!

  18. My auntie made these! Nobody makes them as she did. My mom tried but they were too thick….
    It is now my turn to try. I now have a pizzelle maker. Thank you for the tips!

  19. My Nonna makes these!! Of course, it’s impossible to get a recipe from her. It’s just ‘a bit of this, a bit of that, you know, what you want’. I think my mum has a pizzelle maker, might have to steal it & make a batch before Christmas 🙂

  20. Oh, once again, I am in awe. I grew up eating my Nana’s pizzelles. Like everyone else here, you’ve sparked some fantastic memories. It’s sad, but I have never made them. I am so tempted to buy a machine, even if it only gets broken out over the holidays. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!!!

  21. Years ago I had an over-the-gas pizzelle iron that was the same pattern as my grandmother’s. I don’t know when I lost it! But then I tried electric, and it just does not make them as thin as my grandmother’s were, so I went back to the iron over-the-flame (different pattern) and they are MUCH crisper and more like hers. They are a pain to make, but so yummy!! I make anise and almond.

  22. Great recipe ! I just made it! It`s delicious!!! Thanks for sharing!

  23. I love this time of year!

  24. my twin sister married a gentleman of Italian descent and he introduced her to pizzelles! Years ago she bought me a pizzelle maker (electric) but I”ve never had good luck with them…..not crispy enough. This makes me want to give them another try! I’m on it!!!

    Bev

  25. Trying to find a pizzelle iron here in England and most of the results are Belgium waffee makers.

    I remember my ‘Italian’ mother making them.

    • Funny about the Belgium waffle maker – I ordered a waffle maker from Amazon and got a Pizzelle Maker. Had no idea what it was – came with no instructions. I sent it back to the supplier so he could send me a waffle maker, got my new shipment today and it was a Pizzelle Maker again. They told me just to keep it and they would credit what I spent for the waffle maker so I have a free one! Never tried this before, just now looking up a recipe for it. Never even seen these things before but I’m gonna give it a shot!

  26. How do you do it? I have never seen so much good food.

  27. I have been making pizzelles for years. Anise flavored are my favorite. Your tips and remarks are right on. Clever idea with the sprinkles.

  28. That’s such a delish cookie! Awesome!!

  29. Aren’t they PRETTY!! Like little golden drops of sunshine!

    My younger sister is the pizzelle maker in the family. I’ve never even attempted it. LOVE the lemon flavored ones & the anise, too.

    I’m impressed with your first attempt, Maria. May you have many, many more years of making them for your family. I’m sending my sis a link to this post, so she can see the ones with the sprinkles. I don’t think she’s ever done that.

    Happy Turkey Day, Honey!
    fondly,
    Rett

  30. Anonymous, I got mine on Amazon, CucinaPro nonstick

  31. where did you buy the pizelle maker? I am looking for a good durable one. any suggestions? thanks

  32. It is a great feeling and sense of accomplishment to make pizzelle or any type of old-world traditional cookie. I would like to know how many people in Italy actually still make them!

  33. Where did you buy your Pizzelle maker ??
    Lorraine

  34. These are just such pretty cookies!

  35. One of my friends makes stacks of pizelles and wraps them in a pretty Christtmas towel to give as gifts evey year. I raved about them so much another frind gave me a pizelle maker as a gift, but the design on it is rather flat and not as attractive as yours, Marie, so they don’t look as pretty.

    My favorite flavor is the traditonal Anise, but I bet my grandsons would love the chocolate sprinkle ones!

    Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

  36. I must say, this is a first for me, love the idea and I can imagine what toppings I would lay on there, starting with lashes of cream!

  37. I love pizzelles and don’t make them often enough. I’ve never seen them with sprinkles – love the idea!

    🙂
    ButterYum

  38. Oh Tina, Brilliant!

  39. I’ve been known to slather a mixture of marscarpone cheese swirled with nutella on a pizelle, then top it with another pizelle to make a decadent cookie sandwich!

  40. I can remember as a kid my grandmother had befriended an Italian immigrant family that lived around the block. The mother was an AMAZING cook (and seamstress and a dozen other household skills). She would bring my grandmother pizelles from time to time. How I cherished those times. No one in my family ever made them (lots of cooks in my family, but few bakers) and they were such a treat. Whenever I have them, it still feels like a treat.

    I never had them chocolate flavored though. I wish I did!

    • I have a new cucinaPro Pizzelle Baker and have been making them for years…..today I mixed up a batch ,,,,put it in the refrig.
      to make this evening….warmed up the iron…just like always…and the dough went all over the iron and down the sides and when
      I opened the iron it was so stuck to the top and bottom that it took hours to clea.n….so…I added more flour thinking the dough
      was not thick enough…..turned it on again and same thing…..I used organic butter….could that have been the problem?
      Anyone have any ideas ….I have used this recipe for years……

      • Make a paste of oil and flour. Mix it into a ball and put the same amount as you would the dough. then close the lid, tight. that should do it. I had the same problem. Only my ion was not hot enough and it stuck. I had a hard time getting all of the stuck stuff out. make sure it it real hot the next time.

  41. Yes smarcoux, you can curl them or place them over the back of a small bowl when they’re right off of the iron!

  42. I have been looking at buying one of these… now what I have seen done and you will have to do it .. is curl these like the shape of cannoli and make some canolis with these yummmmmmm y

  43. Mister meatball, I was going to dip the edges in chocolate and then in crushed nuts, but never got that far!

  44. KJ, All great tips! Thank you. Yes and my friend Jean always has a wet towel handy for your fingers, it does get a little messy!

  45. One of my (crazy?) cousins would sometimes dip them halfway in dark chocolate.

    Woof!

  46. Your pizzelle look perfect Marie. I had to smile when you said to sit in front of the TV to make them, because I have childhood memories of my mom making them in front of the TV. She would set up TV trays and put the pizzelle maker on the tray. I make them in my kitchen with her pizzelle maker, but sadly, it’s on its last legs. I don’t know why but I usually only make them for Christmas, but now I have a yen for them after seeing your post. Guest I’ll bring it out and get started this weekend.

  47. My grandmother made pizzelles for years and years. They were my favorite cookie when I was a little girl. I asked for a pizzelle maker and I wanted a non-electric one that I could use over my gas stove. Thank goodness my grandmother had more sense and bought me an electric one. They are still time consuming. I set up a spot at the bar, sit on a stool, press the cookies, set the timer (30-45 seconds each set) and then set up the cooling rack on the kitchen table just a step away. Not enough time between cookies to do much more than turn a page in a magazine or watch tv.

    My tips:
    1) Use a coffee measure to measure your batter. I have used melon ballers and teaspoons, but I had the best and most consistent results with a coffee measure and a very small spatula to scoop out the batter onto the pizzelle maker. Keep a plate next to the bowl to rest the messy spoon and spatula on.
    2) Make the dough the evening before, it will thicken and it is easier to work with.

    I downloaded at least half a dozen variations on pizzelle recipes from the Pittsburgh Gazette a few years ago. I still use my grandmother’s recipe, my Mom uses a different variation. You are right they are all similar.

    Last, watch your cord. I had to replace mine after a decade of use.

    Your cookies turned out beautifully.

  48. My mom has been making Pizelle’s for over 40 years. My Nonna always made them and then Mom took over. One of my faves!

  49. What a great looking cookie.Do not have a baking form like that:((

  50. My mother gave me a pizelle maker a few years ago and I have been afraid to make some!I still buy them. I am dusting it off and trying these tomorrow. What’s the worst that can happen? They turn out as beautifully as yours? Love the sprinkle idea – that’s new!

  51. I wasn’t going to make these this year. Guess what ? 🙂 Great article !

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