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Pizzelle – Italian Waffle Cookies

Writer: Jennifer Bajsel
Jennifer Bajsel
Sep 29
2 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

GETTING SAUCY TV  •  SEASON 3, EPISODE 301

Yield: 18 cookies (1½ dozen)

Prep time: 15 minutes  |  Cook time: 15 minutes  |  Total time: 30 minutes


Eye-level view of a printed recipe beside a mixing bowl in a home kitchen
Pizzelle and espresso are the perfect start to any morning.

From Chef Jennifer’s Kitchen

Itallian Pizzelle are delicate waffle cookies with beautiful patterns and a buttery flavor. They’re often served at Christmas, but I think they’re too pretty to save for the holidays. One of the things I enjoy about Italian food culture is that a cookie or pastry with morning coffee isn't unusual. So why not enjoy this Italian pizzelle recipe with your espresso for breakfast?





Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon iodized salt

  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

  • Optional chocolate variation: ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder


Equipment

  • Small saucepan

  • Hand or stand mixer

  • Mixing bowls

  • Whisk

  • Pizzelle press


Instructions

  1.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside to cool slightly.


  2. Beat the eggs and sugar with a hand or stand mixer until thick, creamy, and nearly doubled in volume. Add the vanilla and almond extracts.


  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. For chocolate pizzelle, whisk in the cocoa powder.


  4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until incorporated. Gradually drizzle in the cooled melted butter, mixing until combined.


  5. Preheat the pizzelle press according to its manufacturer’s directions.

  6. Scoop batter slightly toward the back of each patterned mold; closing the press will push it forward. Close and cook until the indicator signals done, or until the cookies are as golden and crisp as you like.

  7. Remove carefully and cool on a wire rack. Trim any excess edges if desired. Dust with confectioners’ sugar only after fully cooled.



Chef Jennifer's Tips

  • Crack eggs into a separate bowl first so you can catch stray shell pieces.

  • A higher press setting generally produces a darker, crisper cookie; adjust for your own machine.

  • While still warm and flexible, wrap a pizzella around a cannoli tube to form a shell.

  • Save clean butter wrappers in the refrigerator to grease baking pans later.

  • For another variation, dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate and add sprinkles.


Italian Food & Culture

Pizzelle are especially associated with Abruzzo and Italian holiday traditions. Their patterned irons are part of a long tradition of decorative wafer cookies. The frequently repeated claim that they date to the eighth century should be fact-checked before publication.


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