Baker develops passion for pizzelle

One of the best things my dear friend Maria has taught me about baking – and she has taught me many things – is to be adventurous.

Through the years of 21-days-of-cookie-baking, baking for celebrations, sharing family recipes, and trying new recipes from magazines and various internet sites and social media, we have experienced some hilarious failures.

SIDENOTE: You will hear more about my most recent internet-recipe mishap in a later blog.

We have also found some terrific recipes that have become staples – the recipes that immediately come to mind when we are brainstorming what to make for a random potluck or special celebration.

Today I share two pizzelle cookie recipes.

Some years ago during one of our 21 Days of Cookies baking frenzies, I got it in my head that I should get a pizzelle press. I’m pretty sure I had to order it online.

Pizzelle are old Italian wafer cookies that are made by pouring batter into an iron press and heating until golden. The cookies were traditionally made using an iron press decorated with a design, sort of like a snowflake or flower, that imprints onto the cookies. The press was heated in a fire or on a stove, flipping it so both sides cook.

Today there are electric versions that work like waffle irons and I am all for convenience when it doesn’t impact the outcome, so I ordered a Cuisinart pizzelle press.

The pizzelle press comes with a recipe book and those recipes all work well. I either use the basic pizzelle recipe from King Arthur Flour and change it up with flavored liqueur or I make the hazelnut pizzelle, which requires ground hazelnuts and Frangelico.

Below is my variation of the classic pizzelle with Kahlua. Pizzelle can be flavored any way you prefer. Try almond extract, rum or bourbon, which I think go well with vanilla extract. I recommend beginning with ¼ to ½ teaspoon when adding in an additional flavor and increasing until you have the right strength of flavoring.

SIDENOTE: We will write more about flour, and liquor, in future blog posts.

The batter is easy to mix up, but cooking in the press, which only makes two cookies at a time, does take a little longer than throwing three trays full of cookies in my convection oven at one time – but I think the results are worth it.

CLASSIC PIZZELLE WITH KAHLUA

3 large eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

3/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon Kahlua

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup melted butter

Beat the eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and Kahlua until well combined.

Stir baking powder into the flour and then add to the egg mixture until well combined.

Add the melted butter, mixing until smooth. The batter should be thick and soft.

Heat your pizzelle iron. Grease as directed by manufacturer instructions. (I brush mine with canola oil.)

Cook the pizzella according to the instructions. My press has an indicator light, like an electric waffle iron.

Remove pizzella from the iron and cool on a rack. You can trim the edges if you want, but I usually leave them as is.

You can also dust the cooled pizzelle with confectioner’s sugar. (I usually leave mine plain because they go so well with coffee that way.)

HAZELNUT PIZZELLE

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup finely ground roasted blanched hazelnuts

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon Frangelico liqueur

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat Pizzelle press to 3 1/2.

Whisk together flour, ground nuts and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar on medium speed for about one minute.

With the mixer on low speed, add the melted butter, vanilla and Frangelico and mix until combined, about 15 seconds.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined, about 10 seconds. Do not overmix.

Open pizzelle press and brush grids with vegetable oil. Do not use cooking spray or butter.

Place approximately two teaspoons on each grid. Close and press and lock lid. Light will turn red and then green when pizzella cookies are done.

Open the lid and move pizzelle to rack to cool. Can be served dusted with powdered sugar or spread with Nutella and sandwiched.

If you have a favorite cookie recipe you tried because you were adventurous that is now one of your signature cookies, we’d love to hear about it.

Happy Baking,

Amy

Maria Rice McClure and Amy A. Ritchart are excited to share their cookie-baking escapades with you for the next 21 days. Follow them on Instagram @itswhateverblog, email them at itswhateverblog@outlook.com, post to their Facebook wall at http://bit.ly/amyandmariaFB.