Copy Desk Cook-off: Pizzelles

When my brother left for college this past fall, my mom rediscovered her love for Italian baking. She has always been an amazing cook and the reason why I’ve become jaded to most Italian cooking — it just pales in comparison to hers. She was never a huge baker, but that changed this past Christmas Eve when she made pizzelles.

Pizzelle are traditional Italian cookies which resemble very-thin waffles. You’ll need a pizzelle maker to make these, but it is totally worth the money. These cookies are fairly simple to make and taste almost too good to be homemade.

 

Here’s what you’ll need to make pizzelles:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 large eggs

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 

You’ll need to preheat the Pizzelle press while prepping the batter. If the press is not hot enough, the cookies will break. Next, combine the flour and baking powder together in small bowl, and set it aside. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs and sugar on medium speed until they thicken (a minute or so). Add the melted butter and vanilla extract in a steady stream (mixing for about 15 seconds).

Finally, add in the flour mixture and mix for about 15 seconds. Do not overmix.

You can choose to lightly brush the press with vegetable oil, but it is not necessary. Measure out approximately 1½ -2 teaspoons of mixture on both cookie grids. Close and lock the press. The red indicator light will turn green when the pizzelles are done. Remove the cookies very carefully and place them on a rack to cool completely. Transfer them to a decorative tray and sift ample amounts of powdered sugar onto them. Once you think there’s enough sugar, sift more. When people start eating them, more sugar will end up on their clothes than in their mouths.

Of course a few cookies will break in the baking process (and you are more than welcome to eat these sacrifices), but the ones left will be delicate, lightly-sweetened, circles of heaven.