Anise Pizzelle

Before you start

Pizzelle are wafer cookies pressed between the patterned plates of a hot iron, a tradition from central Italy, especially Abruzzo. The batter is eggs, sugar, melted butter and flour with a little baking powder, flavored most often with anise, though vanilla and lemon are common too. Each one cooks in under a minute.

Getting them crisp and lacy depends on the batter amount and the cook time, both of which vary from one iron to another. Too much batter and the cookie squeezes out the sides and stays thick and soft; too little and it will not reach the edge of the pattern. Make two or three test pizzelle, adjust, then work steadily. They are soft and bendable for a few seconds off the iron, which is your window to roll cones or cannoli shells.

Ingredients

• 3 large (about 150 g) eggs — room temperature
• 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — melted and cooled
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp anise extract — or 1 tbsp anise seed, lightly crushed
• 190 g (1½ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch fine salt
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar — for dusting (optional)

Method

1. Heat the pizzelle iron according to its instructions. If it is not nonstick, brush the plates lightly with oil before the first batch only.
2. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl for about 1 minute, until smooth and slightly lighter. Whisk in the cooled butter, vanilla and anise.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth. The batter should be thick and drop slowly from a spoon, like a soft cookie dough.
4. Drop a level tablespoon of batter (about 15 g) slightly behind the center of each pattern, since the lid pushes it forward as it closes. Close and latch the iron.
5. Cook for 30 to 50 seconds, until steam has mostly stopped and the pizzelle are pale gold with slightly darker edges. Check the first pair at 30 seconds and adjust the timing for your iron.
6. Lift each pizzelle off with a skewer or fork and lay it flat on a rack. Trim any ragged edges with scissors while still warm.
7. To shape cones or tubes, wrap a hot pizzelle around a dowel or cannoli form immediately and hold it for 10 seconds until it sets.
8. Repeat with the remaining batter. Once cool and crisp, dust with powdered sugar if you like.

Tips for success

• Pizzelle darken more on the second side of some irons. If one side browns faster, flip the batter spot slightly toward the cooler plate.
• Let the iron recover for a few seconds between pairs so every cookie cooks at the same temperature.
• Stack completely cooled pizzelle flat; stacking warm ones traps steam and softens them.

Substitutions

Anise extract

Use 1 teaspoon lemon zest and ½ teaspoon lemon extract, or 2 teaspoons of an anise liqueur. Liqueur gives a gentler flavor.

Butter

A neutral oil at 100 g makes crisper, lighter pizzelle with less flavor. Many family recipes use oil for this reason.

Part of the flour

Replace 25 g of the flour with unsweetened cocoa and add 1 extra tablespoon of sugar for chocolate pizzelle.

Variations

Cannoli shells

Roll warm pizzelle around cannoli forms, cool, then fill with sweetened ricotta just before serving.

Ice cream sandwiches

Sandwich a scoop of softened gelato between two flat pizzelle and freeze for 30 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Pizzelle are soft and bendy after cooling

They were undercooked, too thick or stacked warm. Cook a little longer, use less batter and cool them in a single layer.

Batter oozes out the sides

Too much batter per cookie. Reduce to a scant tablespoon and place it slightly toward the hinge.

Cookies stick to the plates

The iron was not fully heated or needs a light oiling. Wait for the ready light and brush the plates with oil once; the butter in the batter usually handles the rest.

Uneven browning

The iron runs hotter on one side or the batter was off center. Rotate where you place the batter and let the iron reheat between pairs.

Storage

Store cooled pizzelle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If they soften, crisp them in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Freeze them flat for up to 3 months.

Safety notes

The iron plates get extremely hot; use a skewer to lift the cookies, not your fingers. Contains egg, wheat and milk. Do not taste the raw batter.