As the sun continues to set earlier than I would prefer it to, it’s helpful to turn to comfort food during the holidays. For years, I’ve baked pizzelles with my family in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I can’t physically be with them this year, but that hasn’t stopped me from keeping with the holiday baking spirit.
So grab yourself a pizzelle iron, turn up the holiday tunes, and follow the recipe below for some delicious Italian pizzelles!
What You’ll Need
- Pizzelle iron
- One extra large mixing bowl
- One smaller bowl for melting butter
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A durable spoon for mixing
- A regular silverware teaspoon (not a measuring spoon)
- Wax paper or cooling trays
- Metal cookie tins or sealed Tupperware containers
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 tablespoons of pure anise extract
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons of baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat pizzelle iron. Follow manufacturer instructions for whether to use oils or cooking sprays on the surface. Off to the side, lay out an area of wax paper or cooling trays for finished pizzelles.
- Slightly beat 6 eggs in your mixing bowl. In another bowl, melt 2 sticks of butter in the microwave down to a liquid. If the butter begins bubbling in the microwave before it has all become liquid, take a moment to pour the liquid portion out into the mixing bowl. Then, continue microwaving the remaining portion of butter that is still solid. Once the eggs and melted butter are in the mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons of pure anise extract. Stir these ingredients just enough to ensure the anise extract becomes evenly distributed. Finally, add the sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix well by hand.
- Place dough on pizzelle iron, slightly larger than the size of a walnut – a regular silverware teaspoon (not a measuring teaspoon) usually makes a good size to start. You may adjust as you see fit. Bake as directed by the manufacturer or until light golden brown. For most pizzelle irons, this usually ranges from about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Some pizzelle makers continue to get hotter as they stay on, so you may notice you start at 1 minute and work your way down to 30-45 seconds over the course of baking.
- Place finished pizzelles on wax paper or cooling tray. Dust with powdered sugar while still warm, as this helps the powdered sugar stick to the pizzelles. Then, allow the pizzelles to cool to room temperature. Store in metal cookie tins or sealed Tupperware containers.