Classic Italian Pizzelle Recipe - Crafting a Family Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What does pizzelle mean in Italian? ›

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.

There are a few reasons why your pizzelle might not be crispy: Humidity – If you live in a very humid climate it can affect the crispiness of your cookies. Cooling – You must cool your cookies completely before storing. They need to cool completely on a cooling rack before being stored.

You'll need to grease your uncoated pizzelle iron before getting the batter on there, and since we suggest using shortening or vegetable oil for best results, we always have a pastry brush on hand to get every little nook and cranny well coated.

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

Although Anise (Black licorice) is the “traditional” flavor of the pizzelle, modern options include vanilla, peppermint, anisette, lemon and chocolate but there are countless recipes and flavor combinations for this humble Italian cookie.

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!

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.

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.

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

Krumkake batter is thinner than pizzelle batter, which is what allows it to roll so easily, and while krumkake is more versatile when it comes to flavors and fillings, pizelles are more likely to be flavored by directly adding ingredients to the batter.

How do I clean an old pizzelle iron? ›

While the iron is still hot use a stiff brush or wooden utensil to remove any crumbs and wipe down with paper towels. 🙃 You should also season your iron after every couple of uses. To do this heat add oil to your iron and heat up just until hot. Let it cool back down and wipe your iron with a paper towel.

How to Store Pizzelles. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before storage. Place them in an airtight container or zip-top storage bag and store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

If you have access to an oven, preheat it to 300 degrees. Stack the cookies on a sheet pan and place in the oven, then turn the oven off. Let cookies remain in warm oven for an hour or longer to dry out. This should help return some of the crispiness to the pizzelles.

The original pizzelle irons would have had long handles and would have been heated over a hearth prior to use. A dough mixed with flour, sugar and eggs would be mixed and spooned onto the hot iron face and then held tightly together over the fire until the pizzelle was formed, golden brown and crispy.

Pizzelle was confirmed transfem by the developers in the Sugary Spire discord. This is a cause of frequent confusion, due to Pizzelle using any pronouns.

It is believed pizzelles were first used in the Italian village of Colcullo, Italy to celebrate the driving out of the snakes to prevent them from overtaking the town. This festival is known as the Festival of the Snakes or the Feast of San Domenico.