17. The pizzelle is an Italian delight...thin, waffle like cookie, with an imprinted snowflake design, baked on an iron press. When Christmas is just around the corner, I begin to plan my cookie baking. Pizzelles are always the first cookies I make, because the longer they rest, the more delicious they become. I've made all different flavors of pizzelles but my most favorite is the traditional anisette. This year I used anise oil and anise seed. I crush the anise seed with my mortar and pestle to "wake-up" the oils and flavor hidden in each delightful seed.
The dough for this recipe is very sticky and wet but not runny.
I use a cookie scoop to measure out the dough and place it on the heated iron. Your fingers don't get burned, no cookie dough is lost on your hands and every cookie is the same size. This recipe came from a sweet family in Pennsylvania and it was their "Noni's" recipe. That is Grandma in Italian and I think it is the best I've ever tried!
Noni's Pizzelle
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup oil
3 tsp anise oil or anise extract
2 tsp anise seed, crushed
1 tsp vanilla, optional
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3 1/2 cup flour
Cream together the butter, oil, anise oil and seed, vanilla, eggs and sugar. Whisk together to incorporate the sugar. Add flour and baking powder and mix till dough stiffens and becomes sticky. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and let the dough rest 20 min.
Lightly spray a pizzelle iron with oil and heat iron till hot. Begin to drop dough in 2 inch balls onto the iron. Wait until the steam has subsided and check for doneness. It is your choice if you like light, slightly browned or very browned cookies. Remove from the iron quickly with tongs to a rack and allow cookies to cool and harden. Store in an air tight tin. Will stay fresh up to 3 weeks.
Yield approx 25 cookies.
My house is filled with the smell of anise...lovely!
Wish you were here to share a cup of tea and a fresh anise pizzelle made just today!
"Although, it's been said, many times many ways...Merry Christmas to you!"
