They cook up like waffles- only much thinner and crispier.
They are crunchy and aromatic and taste like anise.
You make them two at a time- so it takes a LONG time to make 3 1/2 dozen. It takes
twice as long to make 7 dozen and you burn a lot if you get involved in multi-tasking.
But when everything goes right and they come out golden and delicious- they can
be addicting. My husband ate 5 while we were talking about the upcoming wedding
of our nephew the other day. He had his hand out for the sixth and I asked him to
slow down- he was eating them faster than I could make them!
So- here’s the recipe I used.
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp anise extract
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
small pinch of salt
Beat the eggs and sugar together until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is
just a little stringy. Add vanilla and anise extract ( you can leave out the anise if you
prefer just a vanilla flavor). Add just a bit of the melted butter, beat it in well and then
add the rest of the butter. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add !/4 cup at
a time with your mixer on low so that the flour doesn’t jump back up at you.
Add salt at end and give it one more mix.
Preheat the pizzelle iron- waiting until the red light turns green and then lightly oil and
place one largish teaspoon of batter ( it will be rather stiff) into the center of the round.
Close down lid and wait until the light turns red and then back to green and open top- about 2 minutes.
Place on wire cooling rack until stiff and cooled and then stack them up!
I only paid about $12 for the iron a couple of years ago- it was a good investment!
They were very good. I loved them! Thanks for sharing.
Thank You- Cynthia! Actually – YOU payed for the iron several years ago, now that I think about it- but it was definitely on sale.
Heidi, thank you! They look wonderful! I’m on the hunt for a pizzelle iron now.. 🙂
You are more than welcome, dear Celia!
These are certainly worth the search! They also roll up into a waffle like cone and can be stuffed with a marscapone or ricotta cheese mixture- so very good.
oh I wish I had a gadget like that! I have never seen aniseed extract either, I know I would just love it so will google to see if I can get it in NZ.
Don’t you have any Italians living in NZ? These are Italian in heritage- as for the extract- I was going to suggest Bakery Bits- mail order- but I just checked and they don’t have it. You could also grind up anise seeds and use them in the batter. As for the maker, I don’t know what to tell you- except that these are really good!
Thanks for visiting, Alli!
I would be fighting for my share I think! I haven’t come across these in England but I am sure they exist somewhere. Sound delicious! 🙂
I am amazed that these are so rare on the world wide cookie scene.
You can buy them in the grocery stores here, but the best ones are in Italian specialty grocers.
I’m sure the best ones are in Heidi’s kitchen! (Or Frank’s stomach.)