Aunt Phillomena’s Pizzelle

By Kim Severson

Updated Dec. 1, 2022

Aunt Phillomena’s Pizzelle
Soo-Jeong Kang/The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(330)
Comments
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At the holidays, these crisp, simple cookies are stacked everywhere in Italian kitchens. My family was from Abruzzi, and my mother always used the recipe from her older sister. You can scent these cookies with orange, almond or lemon or just vanilla, but we always made plenty with anise at Christmas. You can use a simple stove-top pizzelle maker or an electric one. I prefer the kind without a non-stick coating. A little shot of cooking spray or a wipe with some cooking oil helps prime the press. Like pancakes, you will probably throw away the first one.

Featured in: A Christmas Quarrel

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Ingredients

Yield:About 4 dozen
  • 1¾cups/210 grams flour, plus a little more if batter is too thin
  • 2teaspoons/15 grams baking powder
  • ½teaspoon/6 grams salt
  • 3eggs
  • ¾cup/150 grams sugar
  • ¼pound/113 grams butter, melted
  • 1teaspoon/5 milliliters vanilla
  • ½teaspoon/2.5 milliliters anise extract
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (48 servings)

46 calories; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 31 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat eggs and sugar until blended and slightly fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add cooled, melted butter, vanilla and anise and mix until incorporated well. Mix in dry ingredients a cup or so at a time, until batter is smooth but thick.

  2. Step 2

    Using 2 spoons, one to scoop up the batter and the other to ease it onto the iron, drop batter onto the center of a well-heated pizzelle maker. For smaller, 3-inch pizzelles, use a generous teaspoon of batter. For the 5-inch, use about a tablespoon.

  3. Step 3

    Cook for 30 to 40 seconds, or until just lightly brown. Gently remove to a rack or plate to cool.

Ratings

4 out of 5
330 user ratings
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Comments

Rita

Stove top: one Hail Mary on each side. Non-Catholics will just have to ask a friend or look it up!

Barbara

For chocolate pizzelles, I add 1/4 C cocoa, 1/4 C additional sugar with the dry ingredients. I use almond flavoring rather than anise. Maybe not traditional, but a big hit around our family.

Carolyn

I was taught how to make these by my Italian mother-in-law and this batter is much too thick to make the wafer thin cookies I’m expecting. I like to add milk or extra water to make it closer to crepe batter. I also add a couple of tablespoons or more of brandy- we always had Grande Marnier from an uncle at the holidays so that’s what we use. But any brandy is fine. And we always use anise!

VM

Added maple extract instead of anise. It was delicious!

bluetomatoes

Good tips on reducing salt from 6 to 3 grams, not overbearing eggs, and increasing flavorings. Recipe does not make 4 dozen. Closer to 3 dozen but it depends upon the size of your pizzelle maker. Ours can make 4 large ones each with a different design and is over 75 years old. Probably wouldn't pass today's safety codes but it reminds us of our Aunt...

K

Any tips for these w/out standard pizzelle maker? I love these cookies and would like to make at home, but just can't find a recipe for those of us who don't have specialized equipment for just one recipe. Maybe they're not traditional without being made with a special pizzelle maker, but I'm not looking for traditional! I'm looking for some awesome cookies!

JP

@K they are not the same without the pizzelle maker. You really need to treat them like a waffle. But much thinner. So, a press is definitely needed. You might be able to find old-school ones on eBay or you can find nonstick ones online. I have my grandmother‘s very very old one—And I treasure it.

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