Pizzelles are an Italian holiday staple and a part of my family tradition

When I was growing up, the transition into the holiday season was not the purchase of a Christmas tree. It wasn’t the cold weather or the change in music on the radio. 

It was when I would hear my mother digging through the attic, trying to find her old, black and white pizzelle iron. That is when I knew that the holidays were near.

Pizzelle translated from Italian generally means “small, flat, and round” which is an accurate depiction of the cookie. They look of mini waffle, and while they are lighter and crunchier than a waffle would be, they also require a particular iron to create its classic floral gridded pattern.

While the dinners in the DeAngelis household didn’t take many risks as they reflected the classic recipes of Italian cuisine, mom was willing to put her own spin on dessert. This includes her pizzelle recipe.

To make a classic batch of pizzelles, there are only six ingredients that are needed: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, and anise.

The classic pizzelle uses anise (black licorice) as the standout flavor. My mom always told me that she hated the taste as a kid. Thus, anise was scrapped from the recipe, and she claimed vanilla as its replacement.

As a kid, I would watch my mom set up her station at the kitchen table where she would sit and make pizzelles for hours on end. While she preheated the iron, she would pull out the stained, white Kitchen Aid from the back of the cabinet.

From there, she would combine all of the ingredients and have the mixer run until the batter was tan and smooth. She then detached the mixing bowl from the machine in order to gain a grip to scoop.

The proper amount of batter to make one pizzelle is a tablespoon. She scooped a hefty tablespoon for each side of the iron, and then she’d press down until steam would rise from in between. 

It takes about 60 seconds to make two pizzelles at a time, or at least to make them lightly golden which is the color that’s preferred by my mother.

After two hours, there would already be hundreds of pizzelles lined up on the cooling rack, stacked up in festive tin containers, and on the floor waiting to be devoured by my dog.

Perfect alongside a cup of coffee in the morning or even a scoop of ice cream, pizzelles are simply a must have treat during the holidays, especially when made by my mother. My mom is known for her cookies, but her pizzelles are hands down the family favorite.