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.

Pizzelles should be crunchy! They're a thin, light, crispy cookie. If your pizelles are soft, it means they have absorbed moisture from the air or they weren't cooked enough.

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.

Preheating causes the teflon to expand a bit, closing up pores and micro-scratches in the surface. It is also common for oils from the past to form a polymerized layer on top of the teflon, making the pan more sticky.

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.

The best way to keep pizzelle cookies nice and crisp is to make sure they are cooled completely before storing or stacking. They're best stored wrapped in aluminum foil but you can also use plastic bags, containers, or cookie tins once cooled.

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.

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.

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.

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” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

What is the original flavor of pizzelles? ›

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.

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.

Oven Baked Pizzelles (no pizzelle maker required!)

These oven-baked pizzelles are just as tasty as traditional pizzelles and you only need a cookie press and oven to make them.

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.

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.

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).

Because cookies made with butter tend to spread more, the cookies are often thin and crisper. All types of fat—margarine, shortening, and butter—are tenderizers. If you want a less fragile, firmer cookie, reduce the amount of fat in your cookie recipe. Start by reducing it by 25 percent.