How to make the classic Pizzelle

The classic Pizelle. Rumored to have originated in Ortana a small village in the Abruzzo region and thought to go back as far as being served during the days of Roman feasts. 

The beauty of this Italian treat is that it is not so difficult to make but also they are pretty in themselves. So pretty that you will find them at holiday time and special occasions like weddings. Pizzelles are very versatile and also lend themselves to a variety of desserts. Get adventurous and make ice cream sandwiches just by spreading your favorite ice cream between two pizzelles.  Or just spread with Nutella or your favorite jam or preserve. You can change the flavor by adding different extracts. A variation that I make for family dinners is by shaping the pizzelle into a cone as soon as I remove it from the iron.  Then it is easy to fill, when ready to use, with cream, ice cream or pudding. Just sprinkled with powdered sugar…..they are delicious! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 eggs – large
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ tsp vanilla or almond extract
• ¾  cup melted butter

METHOD:

1. Start heating Pizzelle Iron following the instructions that came with your iron as each iron might be different.
2. Beat sugar, salt and extract until well combined. 
3. Slowly add flour, and baking powder and mix until smooth and lump free.
4. Add the butter and again mix well until smooth. Now the batter will be thick and soft but it will thicken as it sits while you get ready. 
5. When your pizzelle iron indicator shows that it is sufficiently hot, very lightly grease it with a little butter and blot excess.
6. Place about 2 tablespoons of batter onto the iron, close and wait for 45 – 90 seconds for the pizzelle to brown. (Don’t be alarmed, the first pizzelle is notoriously a throw away.) The cooking time will vary with each machine. A good indicator that it may be almost done is that the steam had diminished. 
7. Remove the pizzelle from the iron and spread out on parchment paper or a wire rack to cool. Repeat the process until all the batter is used. 

NOTE: Depending on size of your pizzelle iron this recipe should make about 36 – 40. 

BUON MANGIATA!

CANNOLI  NAPOLEONS 

Something special to do with pizzelles! 

SERVING: 6 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 15 oz container ricotta – whole milk
• 1 ½ tsps. grated orange zest
•  ⅓ cup chocolate – semisweet
• 6 tbs chopped toasted pistachios – optional
• ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• whipped cream – semi sweet
• 12 Pizelles

METHOD:

1. Combine ricotta, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, orange zest and vanilla in a large bowl. 
2. Mix until well combined. 
3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes but if you want to plan ahead this mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. 
4. For each napoleon, place 1 pizzelle on a dessert plate.
5. Spread ¼ cup of ricotta mixture over pizzelle. 
6. Sprinkle generously with 1 teaspoon chocolate.
7. Repeat layers. Top with dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. 
8. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chopped pistachios, if using, or even with a few mini-chocolate chips. 

BUON MANGIATA