Pizzelle – Bake-Off IV

[Kerry Beal]

It's ice cream season and eG has a couple of excellent threads on the go right now - The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz' Splendid Ice Cream Book and Ice Cream vs. Gelato, What's the Scoop.

If you go to recipeGullet, you will find 21 recipes for ice cream, including Rose Petal, Blue Cheese, Balsamic Vinegar and Sage. So I started thinking about making some cones for those amazing ice creams and that led me to think about Pizzelle - a great cookie with ice cream and a great cookie to roll into a homemade cone.

eG has only one thread on Pizzelle Pizzelle Pointers, "Classic" Italian Cookie? and no recipes in recipeGullet, just a single recipe in the mentioned thread.

So let's get out our Pizzelle irons, see if we can scare up a few good recipes and see what Pizzelle and ice cream cones we can make.

[Kerry Beal]

I can see if I don't kick start this topic, it will die the same death as the tiramisu bake-off. Not a common enough thing to make I suspect.

So using the recipe from The International Cookie Cookbook by Nancy Baggett (one of my favorite cookie books) I started to fool around with these this morning.

The recipe used 10 tbsp butter, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 2 large eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice, grated rind of one lemon, 1 tsp of anise or vanilla extract.

Melt butter and cool, beat eggs with sugar until very light yellow, add lemon and zest, add extract (I used 2 drops of anise oil as I had no extract), stir in flour, baking powder and melted butter.

Heat pizzelle iron, place about 1/8 of the dough on the iron (if you have a double iron with the smaller circles then about 1/16), cook until golden.

Makes 16 small or 8 large.

I got the large pizzelle maker because I wanted it to make cones and needed a decent size to do that. You'd have to curl them around something quite quickly to make a cone as as soon as they start to cool they want to snap along the dividing lines.

The 'batter' is really a dough, and you really have to kind of squish it out if you are going to fill the whole form.

They bake in just a few short minutes.

They break very nicely along the dividing lines.

Here is some "Perfect Scoop" mango sorbet to show off the pizzelle.

Did I like them? Well, these ones were perhaps a bit less crispy than I like, I would prefer a bit more wafery texture. The anise flavour was too mild, I think I'd add a couple more drops of the anise oil the next time around. I know I have another recipe around here somewhere, I'll search for it later today.

[Trishiad]

Sorry Kerry, I don't have a pizzelle iron. But those cookies sure look yummy.

[David J.]

Sorry Kerry,  I don't have a pizzelle iron.  But those cookies sure look yummy.

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According to David Lebovitz you can make these in the oven at 350 F between 10-15 minutes. Form the circles on a parchment lined baking sheet. While you won't get fancy looking cookies or cones this should work for those of us without a pizzelle iron. I was thinking about this a couple weeks back when I first read the book but Kerry has now sparked my interest to try it out.

[lapin d'or]

I have only made these a couple of times and so far not sure I have the ideal recipe. A very kind colleague brought me back an iron from Germany as I could not find one in the UK.

I have used a recipe in a book by Beatrice Ojakangas ' Scandinavian Cooking'. This was much more like a batter than a dough and I found they took a while on the iron to cook dry. However, the cookies kept well for several weeks once stored in a tin. I made a couple of cones but I was not doing a very good job of the rolling.

The cookies that broke while I was trying to make cones were fine crushed up and used in chocolates.

The Ojakangas recipe is flavoured with crushed cardamom. One tsp of spice to 1 and a third cups of flour.

I was going to try making stroopwafels on my iron next after being inspired by the thread on those cookies.

[Kerry Beal]

I didn't find a recipe in the cookbook where I expected to, however a search of several cookbooks led me to this recipe for a cookie called Nozze (Lemon and Anise Seed Wafers) that are cooked in the pizzelle iron.

9 eggs plus 1 yolk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup rose liqueur (rosolio), 2 tbsp anise seed soaked in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil for 3 hours, 1/2 cup cake flour. Mix eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, add rose liqueur and anise seeds with oil. Stir in flour and let sit 2 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent a crust from forming.

Spoon into pizzelle iron and cook until browned. Now in this recipe you roll them around a cannoli form, then stuff them with ricotta beaten with confectioners sugar. It would be interesting to see how they taste on their own.

I'm not quite sure where the lemon comes in as it is not mentioned in the recipe.

Another wafer from the same cookbook (Dolci Toscani by Anne Bianchi and Sandra Lotti) uses the pizzelle iron, and is then filled with a meringue and put back in the pizzelle iron.

The wafer is made with 3 egg yolks, 4 tbsp sugar, 6 tbsp butter, 2 cups cake flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3 to 5 tbsp milk. Beat the eggs as before, alternate wet and dry ingredients aiming for a batter the consistancy of melted ice cream.

Nick Malgieri's Great Italian Desserts has a recipe for chocolate hazelnut Pizzelle.

[Kerry Beal]

It occured to me to look in my ice cream books for more recipes and bingo - The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein has one.

1/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg, 5 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/3 cup flour. Same instructions with the eggs and sugar, beat in vanilla and butter. Don't overmix with flour or they may toughen. Rest batter 15 min minimum.

1.5 tbsp for 5 inch iron, 2 tbsp for 8 inch.

I think I'll try this one next, but may change the flavouring a bit.

[baroness]

I'm a second-generation pizzelle maker, but currently 1200 miles away from my recipe. . . I'll try to post it on Wednesday.

[CanadianBakin']

I'd love to be a part of this but alas, no pizzelle iron and no where to store one if I buy one.

[pedie]

I have been making pizzelli for many years on my 40 year old electric iron. It is well seasoned by now! It makes two pizzelli at a time, each about 5 inches in diameter.

Here is my recipe:

6 Eggs

3 1/2 cups flour, approximately

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine (1/2 pound), melted and cooled

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons vanilla or anise (or one of each)

I keep the dough sticky. I test and adjust the first few until I have the consistency I want. It makes a very thin, crisp pizzelle. I store them in an large airtight tupperware container and they hold up pretty well. They are a family favorite and a requirement at Christmas and special events.

[Kerry Beal]

I'd love to be a part of this but alas, no pizzelle iron and no where to store one if I buy one.

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I had to dig my pizzelle iron out from the back of the top shelf of the cupboard I have in my dining room/living room. I call it Fibber MaGee's closet after an old radio show from the 30's that my father used to talk about. Apparently on this show, everytime someone went into the closet you heard the sound of the closest contents coming down. That's what happens in this one, mostly plastic containers crashing, but occasionally all the glass jars full of stuff, baskets, bakeware.

I've seem pizzelle irons for sale all over the place though, grocery stores that have a kitchenware section like fortino's, any italian grocery store or bakery seems to have them. Doesn't solve the storage problem.

I wonder how these would work baked between the flat plates of a waffle iron? You'd get something more suitable for making cones that way.

[Kerry Beal]

I have been making pizzelli for many years on my 40 year old electric iron.  It is well seasoned by now!  It makes two pizzelli at a time, each about 5 inches in diameter.

Here is my recipe:

6 Eggs

3 1/2 cups flour, approximately

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine (1/2 pound), melted and cooled

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons vanilla or anise (or one of each)

I keep the dough sticky.  I test and adjust the first few until I have the consistency I want.  It makes a very thin, crisp pizzelle.  I store them in an large airtight tupperware container and they hold up pretty well.  They are a family favorite and a requirement at Christmas and special events.

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So it is a dough, not a batter? What do you use to adjust the consistancy?

[CanadianBakin']

I'd love to be a part of this but alas, no pizzelle iron and no where to store one if I buy one.

←

I had to dig my pizzelle iron out from the back of the top shelf of the cupboard I have in my dining room/living room. I call it Fibber MaGee's closet after an old radio show from the 30's that my father used to talk about. Apparently on this show, everytime someone went into the closet you heard the sound of the closest contents coming down. That's what happens in this one, mostly plastic containers crashing, but occasionally all the glass jars full of stuff, baskets, bakeware.

I've seem pizzelle irons for sale all over the place though, grocery stores that have a kitchenware section like fortino's, any italian grocery store or bakery seems to have them. Doesn't solve the storage problem.

I wonder how these would work baked between the flat plates of a waffle iron? You'd get something more suitable for making cones that way.

←

I do have a waffle iron with 3 different types of plates. I'll take a look at that and see if it would work. I've got a hunch it has a bit of a gap between the plates which would leave them too thick.

The closet thing is pretty funny!! Over the past several months we've been trying to get rid of all those types of closets in our house. It's amazing how much junk you keep. My baking gadgets have not been touched though. I don't care how long it takes me to use them, they all stay . I just can't add anymore till I solve the storage situation.

[baroness]

As promised, here is my favorite pizzelle recipe:

3 large eggs, slightly beaten

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter*, melted and cooled

1 Tbsp. anise seeds (bruised with a mortar and pestle, NOT ground)

1 Tbsp. anise extract OR a generous 1/4 tsp. anise oil

1 3/4 cups unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Beat eggs and sugar together until light yellow; add butter and anise items. Sift flour and baking powder together; add to egg mixture and blend well. Drop by the Tablespoonful onto hot iron and bake about 30 seconds. Cool on rack and store airtight. Makes about 30 5-inch cookies, or 50-60 minis.

*Use 'supermarket' butter, such as Land O'Lakes, not higher fat varieties. I like salted for these cookies.

TIPS:

Be sure to oil the iron lightly before heating it.

This dough is very sticky; it's easier to manage if you chill/rest it for an hour or so before using.

When I make minis, I use a large pastry bag to pipe the dough onto the iron rather than dropping it with spoons.

The anise flavor will intensify over the first few days, so don't over-flavor them unless you plan to eat them all right away!

The irons (brands such as CucinaPro and the VillaWare Prima) which have handles that clip closed are very good, as they make the wafers extra thin -- and the irons stand up on their hinge sides for compact storage.

Shape the cookies while they are hot, or cool them flat on wire racks. Edges can be trimmed with scissors to perfect the shape if you wish.

[lapin d'or]

I have just tried pedie's recipe above but I added cinnamon and a little bit of maple syrup as the flavouring. I am going to try and turn a few of them into stroopwaffels which is why I used cinnamon but I also want to try a chocolate sorbet soon and am hoping the cinnamon flavour will go with that too.

I tried rolling one into a cone but it split instantly. When I used a recipe without baking powder a few months back they seemed to roll a lot more easily. I didn't find the biscuits too hard without leavening so I may try cutting out the baking powder next time.

This recipe was much easier to work with than previous ones I have tried as the batter was much thicker, really more like a very soft dough.

[ellencho]

I'm curious, has anybody ever tried making pizelles with those colored sprinkles that they usually put on cupcakes? I'm talking about the teeny small multicolored balls. If they didn't totally melt, I bet it'd make a pretty pizelle.

[baroness]

I have just tried pedie's recipe above ....

I tried rolling one into a cone but it split instantly. When I used a recipe without baking powder a few months back they seemed to roll a lot more easily. I didn't find the biscuits too hard without leavening so I may try cutting out the baking powder next time.

This recipe was much easier to work with than previous ones I have tried as the batter was much thicker, really more like a very soft dough.

←

I would leave the baking powder alone (pedie's recipe is very close to mine, posted above).

If the pizzelle cracks when you roll it, it is either: too thick (if your iron doesn't have handle clamps, try manually pressing down on the top plate as soon as you close it--wear an oven mitt or the like) OR too cold (you must work quickly, with the cookie hot off the iron) OR both.

My pizzelles will drape themselves into tuiles if I don't make sure they're flat on the racks--cute, but hard to store.

[baroness]

I'm curious, has anybody ever tried making pizelles with those colored sprinkles that they usually put on cupcakes? I'm talking about the teeny small multicolored balls. If they didn't totally melt, I bet it'd make a pretty pizelle.

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Mary Anne Esposito of "Ciao Italia" makes her Pizzelle Colorate with multicolored coarse sugar sprinkles -- see her site: www.ciaoitalia.com. She also has a Pizzelle Bicolori recipe that sounds worth investigating.

[zoe b]

For some time I've had a pizzelle obsession--and I finally ordered a maker from Amazon-- a reconditioned Cuisinart one for $15--figured I couldn't beat that price.

This goes against my rule about not having tons of gadgets in the house, but I love pizzelles so much--I have a niece who would make them at Christmas, but once a year is not enough.

I've been buying those Belgian Waffle cookies, but they are expensive and have a jillion calories, so yay, the mailman brought my maker today--I'm going to try pedie's recipe--I like the idea of one that's been good for forty years--that's some testing!

Zoe

[ncorrigbl]

I got a pizzelle baker for Christmas and just used it. I used the classic recipe enclosed with the iron, they were tasty but a wee bit dry. I am going to try baroness' recipe next, and will post the results when I do. Boyfriend can't wait for the delicious taste test!

[Anna N]

Yesterday while cruising the thrift shops with two other eG members (Kerry Beal and Marlene) we came across a brand new Cuisinart pizzelle maker. It's a toy I didn't have and since $10 would soon remedy that situation, it came home with me.

Above you see my first efforts with it. The recipe is from Nick Malgieri but the cookies are dry and dull. A long time ago I borrowed Kerry's pizzelle maker and enjoyed the cookies so I will try again with a different recipe. Anybody else playing with pizzelles?

[Anna N]

My second attempt today was much more to my liking. I used the recipe from King Arthur Flour and Fiori di Sicilia for the flavouring.

[pbear]

Anybody else playing with pizzelles?

Well, I used to. Alas, I no longer have the room for a pizzelle baker, nor an ice cream maker. Mainly I'm posting to pass along another way of going about the ice cream thing. Years ago, I had an idea similar to Kerry's, but decided it would be more practical to use the pizzelles to make sandwiches rather than cones. For this, I got a Villaware baker which made four small (2-1/2 inch) pizzelles. The recipe I used was very simple,* as I was aiming for waffle-cone flavor rather than pizzelles as such and wanted ones that wouldn't upstage the ice cream. Baked until crisp, then froze. Topped half the pizzelles with 4 tbsp each home made ice cream (somewhat soft) and placed the other half over, forming sandwiches about 3/4 inches thick including the pizzelles. Froze solid on a baking sheet, then transferred to a bag to store.

* FWIW, the recipe I used was this. Don't recall the source. Cream an egg with 1/4 c sugar; add 2-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled), 2 tbsp milk or light cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract; mix well. Combine 2/3 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. Combne egg and flour mixtures; mix well; let stand covered at least 15 minutes. Using a scant 1/2 tbsp batter per pizzelle, bake until steam stops coming out of the baker and pizzelles are light brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. This recipe makes 20 to 24 small pizzelles, enough to make sandwiches with 2 pints of ice cream (with some left over).

Edited November 28, 2013 by pbear (log)

[Anna N]

Anybody else playing with pizzelles?

Well, I used to. Alas, I no longer have the room for a pizzelle baker, nor an ice cream maker. Mainly I'm posting to pass along another way of going about the ice cream thing. Years ago, I had an idea similar to Kerry's, but decided it would be more practical to use the pizzelles to make sandwiches rather than cones. For this, I got a Villaware baker which made four small (2-1/2 inch) pizzelles. The recipe I used was very simple,* as I was aiming for waffle-cone flavor rather than pizzelles as such and wanted ones that wouldn't upstage the ice cream. Baked until crisp, then froze. Topped half the pizzelles with 4 tbsp each home made ice cream (somewhat soft) and placed the other half over, forming sandwiches about 3/4 inches thick including the pizzelles. Froze solid on a baking sheet, then transferred to a bag to store.

* FWIW, the recipe I used was this. Don't recall the source. Cream an egg with 1/4 c sugar; add 2-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted and cooled), 2 tbsp milk or light cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract; mix well. Combine 2/3 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. Combne egg and flour mixtures; mix well; let stand covered at least 15 minutes. Using a scant 1/2 tbsp batter per pizzelle, bake until steam stops coming out of the baker and pizzelles are light brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. This recipe makes 20 to 24 small pizzelles, enough to make sandwiches with 2 pints of ice cream (with some left over).

Thanks so much for posting this. After playing yesterday I was left asking myself "now what?" You have supplied the answer. Frozen ice cream treats for my granddaughter and her friends (and the occasional treat for me!)

[pbear]

You're welcome. Glad I was able to help.