Cuisines and Scenes

No one can eat just one! These crispy, intricately designed cookies are individually ‘baked’ either on a stove, or an electric cookie iron. The design varies from waffle-like to crispy cookie. Some recipes call for whiskey, butter, light cream, even cocoa powder and many variations in between. I use the simplest of recipes resulting in a crispy and festive cookie. When I cook a stack or two, it is usually a preface to a holiday or birthday.

The Norwegian press is an antique and is made from cast iron which makes a delicious cookie but it is extremely heavy to flip over. The Italian press is cast aluminum and it is lighter and easier to cook with on the stove top. I prefer using the stove top irons over the electric teflon coated iron. The cookie is just better. I’m still trying to borrow my Mother-in-law’s hand crafted iron from Italy. Hers were the best!

There are a few tricks you will learn along the way as you attempt your first pizzelles:

1. Keep the batter the same tablespoon dollop size in the middle of your iron every time. Any larger dollop will result in a run off of batter that has to be scraped around the sides of the iron.
2. Keep the iron consistently flipped over equally to maintain the same amount of heat on both sides. The first few may be burnt, don’t despair.
3. When you time the cookie in the press, use that time for all of them, not more or less.
4. Let the cookie cool on a rack individually before stacking.
5. Have fun!! Make it an unforgettable tradition in your family!