The holiday season is a time for cherished traditions for our family. Just as the magical Christmas traditions I shared recently bring warmth and connection, making pizzelle has become one of our family’s favorite ways to honor both history and togetherness during the holidays.
These delicate Italian waffle cookies, originating from the Abruzzo region and dating back to the 8th century, are so much more than a treat. With their intricate floral or snowflake patterns, they carry the essence of celebrations past, blending old-world charm with the modern-day joy of family fun. In our kitchen, pizzelle-making is an art, a science, and a tradition that continues to evolve with every batch.
Our Pizzelle Adventure: A Pandemic Tale
During the pandemic, when the world was busy mastering sourdough, our family decided to try our hand at pizzelle making. Pizzelle bakers were sold out everywhere, so we scoured Facebook Marketplace. Finally, we found one—a Villaware Pizzelle Baker—and drove to meet a seller in a parking lot. It had belonged to his mom, and the box showed years of loving use. We joked that it looked like it might spark an electrical fire at any moment, but it worked like a charm.
A couple of years later, we bought a second pizelle baker on Amazon. To our surprise, the design hadn’t changed at all! With two machines, we turned pizzelle-making into a family assembly line, cranking out stacks of them!
While the licorice flavored anise is the traditional flavor in Italy, it's not for everyone. We've found that experimenting with almond, lemon, and orange flavors adds variety to the mix. The Rosa brand anise oil, which we originally found at an Italian market, is our go-to—because it's an oil, it doesn’t lose its robust flavor during baking. We have since found this anise oil on Amazon.
Traditional Pizzelle Recipe
Ingredients (Double Batch):
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
Divide the batter into separate bowls before adding extracts - 1 tablespoon anise oil (more, if you cannot find the Rosa brand) OR 2 tablespoons lemon or orange extract (the oil is stronger). We divide the dough into 2 batches and make part with the anise and the other almond.
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
A pinch of salt
Instructions:
Preheat Your Pizzelle Baker: Plug your pizzelle to bring to temperature and wait for the green lighr.
Mix Wet Ingredients: Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Stir in the melted butter and your chosen extract(s).
For variety: Divide the batter into separate bowls before adding extracts. For example, add anise extract to one bowl and almond extract to another.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing until smooth. It will be a thick dough - a bit more runny than a classic cookie dough, but thicker than pancake batter.
Prep the Bakers: Lightly grease the pizzelle bakers with non-stick spray or a bit of butter. You only need to do this once.
Cook the Pizzelle: Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter onto the center of each iron plate. Close the lid and bake for 30-45 seconds or until golden brown. The first couple might be your “test” pizzelles—taste tests are mandatory! I find that the placement of the dough ball is important. It should be ever so slightly off center, towards the back.
Cool and Enjoy: Remove the pizzelles with a fork and cool on a wire rack.
Flavor Tips:
Anise: Use Rosa brand anise extract for a bold flavor that stands up to baking.
Almond: If using almond extract, you may need to add more than a couple of tablespoons to get the right flavor
Citrus: Add 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon or orange zest for a bright, fresh flavor along with the extract.
Experimenting with pizzelle-making is half the fun!
We’ve found that the placement of the dough balls on the pizzelle iron can affect the design—too far off-center, and you end up with misshapen cookies. The temperature of the dough also matters; chilled dough spreads less, while room-temperature dough creates thinner, crisper pizzelle. Timing is crucial, too—just a few seconds can mean the difference between golden perfection and overdone edges. For those slightly imperfect pizzelle with extra batter spilling over the edges, we use kitchen scissors to trim them neatly. Of course, those trimmings are the baker's reward, perfect for snacking on while the next batch cooks!
Making pizzelle is more than a recipe—it’s a family tradition filled with laughs, stories, and delicious samples for the helpers. Enjoy making (and eating) pizzelle as much as we do!
What flavors will you try first? Let us know in the comments below!
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