I can't remember a December without the delicious smell (and taste!) of pizzelles. My Aunt Anna makes the best pizzelles ever, and I can't wait until she makes a batch this year. I knew that pizzelles were an Italian tradition, but I really didn't know much else.
After doing a little research, I now know that the name pizzelle comes from the Italian word pizze meaning "round and flat" and that it has been called the world's oldest cookie. In Italy, they are also referred to as ferratelle, nevole, ciarancelle, cancellette, catarette…among lots of other things. In Scandinavia there are similar cookies, known as Lukken, and in Norway, Krumkake is baked using a similar iron as the pizzelle. Germany has its own version, Wafflekekse.
I haven't found a recipe that doesn't require a pizzelle iron, but I've read that a waffle iron works just as well. Enjoy!
Pizzelles
(makes about 24 cookies)
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup Butter or Margerine, melted & cooled
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Directions:
Stir together flour and baking powder.
In a small mixer bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer until foamy.
Stir in the sugar.
Add the cooled melted butter or margarine and vanilla.
Stir in the flour mixture; mix well.
Chill dough about 3 hours.
Using about 2 tablespoons for each cookies, shape the dough into balls.
Heat pizzelle iron on range-top over medium heat (for electric pizzelle iron, heat and use according to manufacturer's directions) until a drop of water sizzles on the grid.
Place on ball of dough on the iron.
Squeeze lid to close; bake over medium high heat about 1 or 2 minutes on a side or until golden.
Turn wafer out onto a paper towel to cool.
Recipe Link has tons of recipes, including this one.
What's Cooking America is a great resource for food history.
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