Pizzelle Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is butter or margarine better for pizzelles? ›

As far as the fat used in pizzelle, some recipes will call for oil, others margarine, lard or Crisco. But having tried other fats, I always return to unsalted butter. They crisp up nicely, don't have an oily aftertaste, and cook to perfection in their special pizzelle press.

Avoid storing them in the refrigerator, as the moisture in the fridge can make them lose their crispness. Over time, pizzelle may become less crisp. If you notice they have lost their desired texture, you can try reheating them in the oven briefly to regain some of their crispness.

A Crispy History

Pizzelles, the oldest known waffle cookies, originated in Italy. The name pizzelle is based on the Italian word 'pizze' meaning round and flat, with the ending 'elle' referring to its small size.

Butter yields better results in baking and has qualities that give it a greater depth of flavor, like how you can brown it, giving it a nutty, caramelized flavor, or use it as a thickening agent. It is also made from cream, so it has less ingredients and is minimally processed compared to margarine.

*Tip: Make sure you fully cool your pizzelles and do not cover for several hours as they will get mushy and soft – you want them to stay crispy! That's why I love my metal tin or glass containers – they keep them nice and fresh! I never close the lid too tight – they need to breathe!

Oil - it could very well be that modern pizzelle makers are so "nonstick" that you do not need to use any cooking spray. Am noting here that when you research recipes, you may encounter a debate about whether or not to use oil or butter. For years our family uses a light spray of cooking oil as needed - it's just fine.

Pizzelle are popular during Christmas and Easter. They are often found at Italian weddings, alongside other traditional pastries such as cannoli and traditional Italian biscuits. It is also common to sandwich two pizzelle with cannoli cream (ricotta blended with sugar) or hazelnut spread.

A: Did you coat the pizzele maker with oil before starting to make a batch? That's the first thing you must do each time. Put a little oil on it, wipe up the excess and heat it up!

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico”.

You may love a hot, crispy waffle but have you heard of the world's oldest cookie; the pizzelle? Dating back hundreds of years in Italian culture, no Italian catholic celebration or wedding is complete without the famous pizzelle!

What is the original flavor of pizzelles? ›

The most traditional pizzelle are indeed made with anise seed or anise extract; they taste like licorice. But I eschewed that flavor long ago in favor of the milder vanilla version I now make. I'll do a butter-rum pizzelle occasionally, and have experimented with lemon and hazelnut—all good.

Heat your pizzelle maker, grease it with a little olive oil and add a generous spoon of your batter. Remove the excess batter with a fork (and remember like Nonna to always clean the stove when you finish!). Lay the cooked pizzelle on the table as they will dry faster.

Pizzelle are made on a pizzelle iron, which works a lot like a waffle iron. Add the batter to the heated iron (it usually only needs to be greased for the first batch), then close and cook for about 90 seconds.

Krumkake is a Norwegian waffle cookie, like an Italian Pizzelle, made with a flat press that is rolled into a cone shape.

Cakes made with margarine tend to be denser and lighter in color, while cakes made with butter taste more, well, buttery, but can end up a bit less tender. Cookie recipes made with butter are more caramelized in color and crispier near the edges; margarine-based cookies are chewy but lack the same flavor punch.

No alternative ingredient can replicate the flavor and texture of butter-based cookies. However, just because your baked goods taste a little different doesn't mean they're any less yummy! If you buy the right kind, margarine can be a healthy, tasty alternative to butter.

But when you're baking, butter triumphs over margarine every time. For cakes, cookies, and pastries, butter (unsalted, that is) provides richer flavor. (It begins as cream, after all, and margarine is made from vegetable oil.) Butter's high fat content is also what gives baked goods their texture.

Margarine and Plant-Based Butter

They work well in just about any baking recipe that requires butter, such as cookies, cakes, biscuits, and more. In most recipes, you can use a 1:1 ratio to swap butter and margarine or plant-based butter (if the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 1 cup margarine or plant-based butter).