Classic Pizzelle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup flour all purpose
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 eggs large
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract OR almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the Pizzelle press on a medium setting (setting 3) while preparing the batter.
- Place the flour and baking powder in bowl and stir to combine.
- Place eggs and sugar in medium bowl, mix using a hand mixture on medium speed for one minute. On low speed, add the melted butter and vanilla slowly and mix until combined. Add in the flour and baking powder mixture and mix until just combined (about 15 seconds). Be careful not to overmix.
- The press should be preheated. It may be necessary to lightly brush both the top and bottom grids with canola or vegetable oil before baking.
- Use the spoon provided to scoop the dough, about 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons, and drop onto one of the patterned cookie grids; repeat to make the second cookie. Close the lid and lock.
- The red indicator light will come on. When the red indicator light goes out and the green light comes on, the pizzelles are ready. Bake according to your liking. (For a darker pizzelle add a few more seconds).
- Remove pizzelle from the press using a spatula and place on a rack or plate to cool completely.
- Dust cooked pizzelles with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
~Jaclyn~
These classic cookies are a new tradition in our family, but have been a huge hit the past few years. We never ate them growing up until one year when Amanda received a pizzelle maker for Christmas. Few cookies require you to purchase their own specific piece of baking equipment, but there is absolutely no way to make these cookies without the small waffle iron; the appearance and taste is definitely worth it. The result is a soft, but crispy thin snowflake cookie that is typically topped with powdered sugar. We may not be Italian, but my fiance is, so it may be fitting to keep this traditional cookie in our Christmas baking every year. This week I brought home two tupperwares full of different cookies to my fiance and I was surprised to hear that these were his favorite! Maybe it’s because he is Italian, but he just loved the flavor and simplicity of them.
I’m not a big fan of using equipment recipe books, but for this classic cookie we love the simple recipe that came with the pizzelle maker. There are only 6 ingredients so this is an easy recipe to prepare and fun to make with kids and family. And the cookies only take a few minutes to cook and are then ready to eat, talk about instant gratification. To make the cookies you begin by mixing the eggs and sugar with a hand mixer until thickened. Then slowly add in the melted butter and vanilla until combined. Lastly, adding in the flour and baking powder and mix for only about 10 seconds, just to combine. It is very important to not overmix the ingredients, this can cause the cookies to be tough and hard to cook.
Your pizzelle maker should be put on a medium setting. We like to lightly brush the grids of the pizzelle maker between each set of cookies with vegetable or canola oil. This is not always necessary, but it guarantees that your cookies will pop out easily every time. Refer to your pizzelle manual for specific baking instructions; most are tracked by a red and green light indicating when the cookies are done. You can bake an extra few seconds to get a darker color and firmer cookie.
Traditionally the cookies are served with a dusting of powdered sugar, but if you want to get fancy you can roll them into a cannoli shape quickly after popping out of the iron, or sandwich two cookies together and fill with a cannoli cream, or my favorite: right when the cookie comes hot out of the iron cover with some chocolate hazelnut spread and enjoy the smooth chocolate melting into the warm cookie.
