Classic Italian pizzelles are an Italian thin waffle style cookie that is made from flour, eggs, butter, anise and vanilla. They are a tradition in Italian homes and usually made for special occasions and holidays. I grew up eating pizzelles that my grandmother made at every family get together and at holidays.
Classic pizzelles are made with anise which has a very strong licorice flavor; if you use too much it can overpower the entire pizzelle. When I first made these on my own after I was married I used so much anise that my husband’s mouth was numb for the whole day. My Italian grandmother would actually use the anise to rub on her baby’s gums during teething and it would take the pain away! Needless to say a little of this stuff goes a long way. I have figured out the perfect ratio to use so that it is a very faint flavor and makes these pizzelles taste so amazing!
Ingredients you will need are:
- All purpose flour
- eggs
- milk
- vanilla extract
- anise extract
I have to thank my husband for being the guinea pig for all of these years and trying out all of the versions I made until I found just the right one. To make the pizzelles, you need a special pizzelle maker. If you have never seen one, it looks like a small waffle iron but the grooves on it are more shallow. These are very cheap to buy and last a long time! I think I paid $20.00 for mine over 15 years ago and it is still going strong! You can make homemade ice cream cones and faux cannoli shells with these as well if you want to put it to use more often. If you like the flavor of the pizzelle cookies but may do not want to buy pizzelle maker, you should check out my pizzelle cookies recipe that is made without the pizzelle maker. The cookies are not thin and crisp like pizzelles but the flavor is perfect!
If you have never tried making pizzelles you should give it a try and I know you will love it! I have also included additional Holiday recipes below from fellow bloggers if you’re looking for more inspiration for baking!
Classic Italian Pizzelles: My Family recipe
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
- 3 tiny drops of anise to do this, pour a tiny amount of anise on to a spoon. Slowly turn the spoon downward over your mixture and wait for 3 tiny drops to fall and then you are done!
- 1 stick 8 tbsp of melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp of salt
Instructions
- Whisk together your eggs, sugar, vanilla and anise in a medium bowl.
- Now add your flour, salt and baking powder and mix it well until there are no lumps and it looks smooth.
- Now add your melted butter and mix that in to your mixture.
- Pre-heat your pizzelle maker. They are all a little different so follow the manufacturers instructions for this.
- Once it is heated, add a heaping tablespoon of your thick dough to the middle of each of your pizzelle areas on the iron. Close and cook for about 30-45 seconds until it is a light golden color.
- Once they are cooked, remove the pizzelles from the iron (they will still be soft and pliable at this point) and place on a cooling rack where they will cool and get nice and crispy. Keep doing this until all the dough is used up!
- Once all of your pizzelles are fully cooked and cooled, you can go ahead and clean them up if you would like by lightly breaking off any parts of the pizzelle that went beyond the design edge. I find this to be relaxing but it is not necessary 🙂
To serve
- Stack them up or fan them out on a plate and eat them as is or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Serve with tea or Italian coffee and Enjoy!
Some More Cookie Ideas From Fellow Bloggers
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These we will be making on repeat! They were so good, thank you!