It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Pizzelles

I try to make pizzelles every year before the Christmas holiday. For those of you who are unfamiliar, pizzelles are also known as Italian wafer cookies. Their name comes from the Italian word “pizze” meaning round and flat. In Scandinavia, they are known as Lukken. They are made in a pizzelle iron similar to waffles. The original Italians pizzelle irons were forged by blacksmiths and would be created with original designs or family crests on them. They were lovingly handed down from one generation to the next. They are a seasonal favorite at our house. All our friends from up north (especially Youngstown, Ohio) are sure to visit to get a stack.

Classic Pizzelles
3 eggs
¾ cups sugar
½ cup margarine, melted
4 Tablespoons anise extract
1 ¾ cups of flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons anise or fennel seeds, optional

Preheat pizzelle iron. Cream together eggs and sugar, then add melted margarine that has been cooled and anise extract. Add flour and baking powder and mix until smooth. Add anise seeds and mix well. If batter is too thick add water a tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency. Using a teaspoon, drop one spoonful of batter on iron for each cookie. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Hint: I place the batter in a Ziploc bag and snip off one small corner (like a pastry bag) and squeeze out a teaspoon-sized dollop on the iron for each cookie. It gives you better control and is MUCH less sticky. And clean-up, well... much easier!