GRAND VOYAGE ITALY
  • Piazza
    • Older Posts
  • Travel
    • Our Family's Voyage
  • Cucina
  • Culture
  • History
  • Style
  • Photos
  • Videos
    • Music Videos
  • About
    • Survey
    • Links
  • Shop 🛒
  • Piazza
    • Older Posts
  • Travel
    • Our Family's Voyage
  • Cucina
  • Culture
  • History
  • Style
  • Photos
  • Videos
    • Music Videos
  • About
    • Survey
    • Links
  • Shop 🛒
We're All About Italy

Recipe: Pizzelle - The Italian Christmas Cookie and Its History

11/14/2016

6 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Waffles are something we enjoy almost every Sunday for colazione (breakfast). Lisa has a great recipe which includes egg whites that makes that light and crispy. Lucas' favorite breakfast is waffles with Nutella and banana. But the ancestor of our favorite waffle is something much more delicate... more like a waffle ice cream cone... the pizzelle. (We'll use the name "pizzelle" in this article for both singular and plural--singular is actually pizzella). "Pizze" is from the Italian word for "round" and "flat" (pizze)--yes, just like the word pizza. The "elle" ending means small. Pizzelle are indeed small, flat and round. They are light and crispy Italian waffle cookies made from flour, eggs, sugar, butter or oil, flavored with vanilla, anise, anisette, lemon or even chocolate. Depending on how they are made, pizzelle might be soft or crisp.

Pizzelle are made by cooking batter in between two iron plates that have decorative patterns on them--usually in a sort of snowflake design. There are electric versions that are used just like waffle irons, and there are cast metal ones that you hold over a flame to cook the pizzelle, turning to cook each side. The interesting thing about pizzelle is that when they first come off the iron, they are soft and pliable. You can actually mold them around a tube to form a cylinder used in making cannoli, a cone shape for gelato cones or mold them into bowls or cups to be used as containers for sweet treats and desserts. Once cooled they become hard and brittle.

They can be colored (like the Italian flag, for instance) with food coloring, or dipped into chocolate or icing and sprinkles. The simplest way to serve them is dusted with powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar.  Tuck them into a scoop or two of ice cream in a bowl. Two can be filled (Nutella!) like a little sandwich. Around the holidays, packaged pizzelle can also be found in many varied flavors and designs.


Picture
Picture
Jewelled pizzelle from lovely-living.com
Picture
Picture
Picture7th Century bread stamp
Pizzelle--at least, the Italian version we know today--were originally made in Ortona, in the Abruzzo region. Centuries ago, the families would have pizzelle irons specially made with family crests, special dates, or other celebratory designs. Although once enjoyed at annual festivals, these cookies can now be found at nearly every holiday celebration, in Italy and beyond.

Other countries have their own pizzelle type of cookie, too...  like the Norwegian Krumkake. This is perhaps because it is one of the world's oldest cookies--it's ancestor most likely was the Roman crustulum, a flat bread treat cooked in a Roman pancake pan and on top of a craticula (a sort of Roman BBQ grate cooker). Pizzelle are known as ferratelle in the Lazio region and in Molise they may be called ferratelle or cancelle. 

The history of pizzelle might go back even further in history, however.  There are ancient examples of bread stamps--some being a similar size to modern pizzelle--in both ancient Rome and Greece. Flat breads throughout the Middle East and the Greek and Roman areas of the Mediterranean were often stamped in geometric patterns. Some stamps were small but used in a repeating manner to create a large pattern on the face of a flatbread. The larger ones in the early days of Christianity were used to impress flat breads with a cross or religious pattern, the bread being used as the Holy Eucharist during early masses. St. John Chrysostom (a Greek, 347-407AD), noted in his writings that all bread was “sealed”, most likely with a cross.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Forming cannoli tubes
Picture
Picture
Pizzelle Recipes
Pizzelle - made with olive oil
Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light olive
3 eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Grated orange zest
1-1/2 tsp Flavoring extract (lemon, rum, almond, vanilla, or anise)
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and olive oil.  Add the eggs, salt, zest, and
extract then beat well. Gradually stir in the flour until the mixture is smooth, soft and sticky.

Heat the pizzelle maker.  Using a spoon, scoop some dough and place the dough on each cookie pattern of the pizzelle maker. It might help to wet your hands and roll a tablespoon sized dollop into a ball and then center it on the pizzelle iron. Close and clamp the lid and cook until about 30 seconds until light golden color. I have found that many pizzelle irons/griddles tend to squeeze too much batter forward (due to the rear hinge design)... compensate by positioning your batter slightly to the rear of center.  Use a thin wooden spatula to remove the pizzelle from the griddle.

Transfer pizzelles onto a cool counter-top
or cookie cooling rack to dry and harden. Repeat until all the batter is used up.  If you need to mold them into a shape, do it immediately as they come off the griddle. Do not leave pizzelle out on damp, humid days. After drying, they keep well in Zip-loc bags. 

Pizzelle - with butter
Makes 2-3 dozen. Butter will add flavor but they will be less crisp.

Ingredients

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Cointreau or Triple Sec (or Liquor of your choice)
1-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar. Add the butter, vanilla,
and Cointreau. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. The batter
should be thick.

Chocolate Pizzelle
(Makes 30 pizzelle)

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder in a small bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and whisk. Add the cocoa/flour mixture and mix until smooth. Make pizzelle the same way as previous recipes..

Pizzelle with Hazelnuts

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup ground hazelnuts

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt, then add the butter and blend well. Sift together all the remaining ingredients, except the hazelnuts. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Next, fold in the ground hazelnuts.   Make pizzelles as previously.

Almond Pizzelle

Follow the recipe for the Butter Pizzelles above.
Leave out the vanilla and Liquor flavorings.
Add 1 tablespoon of almond extract or 2 tablespoons of amaretto.
Add 3/4 cup of ground almonds to the batter.

Cappuccino Pizzelle

Follow the recipe for Pizzelles made with butter.
Omit the vanilla and Cointreau.
Then add:
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream shaved chocolate top top it off.

Black and White Pizzelle

Follow the Butter Pizzelle recipe.
Make one batch of the Chocolate Pizzelle recipe.
Place 1/2 tablespoon of each batter, side to side in the middle of the pizzelle baker's pattern and bake as usual.


Picture
Picture
Vintage Holy Eucharist Pizzelle maker

--Jerry Finzi


If you enjoyed this article, please SHARE it and LIKE it on your favorite social media site. Buon Natale!

We also have pages on:
Twitter
Google+
StumbleUpon
Pinterest
Facebook
6 Comments
Vicky link
11/29/2017 11:00:32 am

Oh my goodness your post is awesome! You just don't realize all the different Pizzelle markers there are and thanks for the history! They are one of my favorite cookies! Vicky

Reply
Dolores
1/19/2019 12:24:11 pm

My Grandmother was from the Abruzzo region and I grew up eating pizzelles. We now make them as part of our Christmas tradition. Our recipe is much different and is more like a cookie dough recipe. The pizzelles come out much thicker, but equally as good.
I look forward to trying some of your recipes for pizzelles!

Reply
ELAINE FONTE
9/29/2019 11:47:33 am

I HAVE INTRODUCED 5 OF MY FRIENDS TO PIZZELLE COOKIES THEY ARE SO HAPPY THAT I DID.

Reply
Armandino Batalo
12/31/2019 11:36:07 am

Great info. Our family issue always which is better using butter or olive oil. Knowing the recipe originated in central southern Italy I assume olive was originally used. Would love more input on this comparison. Butter versus oil .
Thankd

Reply
Jim Ronan
8/27/2020 12:06:59 pm

Can you send me the " Pizzelle" recipes in the Italian language ? I want to impress my Italian friends.

Thank You,

Jim Ronan


Reply
Paul Leal
1/11/2022 09:29:32 am

hello,
We have had pizzelles as a family tradition passed down from her grandmother
I am trying to purchase 3 pizzelle irons to give as a gift to our children

How can I buy them? and ship to Canada!
thanks
Paul

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.


    Categories

    All
    1 Making Plans
    2 Gear And Tips
    3 Getting Around
    4 Tuscany
    5 Amalfi Coast
    6 Basilicata
    7 Puglia
    8 Rome
    9 Postcards
    Fotos Di Finzi
    History For Italians
    Humor
    La Cucina & Recipes
    More Than Gelato Pizza
    More-than-gelato-pizza
    News Del Giiorno
    Off The Tourist Path

    Archive

    January 2021
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2014 - 2022 by GrandVoyageItaly.com
Picture
  • Piazza
    • Older Posts
  • Travel
    • Our Family's Voyage
  • Cucina
  • Culture
  • History
  • Style
  • Photos
  • Videos
    • Music Videos
  • About
    • Survey
    • Links
  • Shop 🛒