Pizzelles

Easter is a very low-key holiday this year, and the only baking which I have produced has been that one absolutely essential holiday cookie- pizzelles.



My Italian grandmother used a pizzelle iron which made one at a time. She stood in their basement, at the "second stove", baking each cookie over a gas flame. It must have taken her forever, flipping the iron over and back to cook each side. It took us kids seconds to wolf them down.


So, every time I make pizzelles with my electric two-at-a-time pizzelle iron, I thank her (because I'm fairly certain that she is watching me from above, and smiling).


I love my pizzelle iron. I bought it at a local Italian store because it was the kind my Mom has, and when I got it home I realized that it is manufactured a couple of miles from here. West Newton, PA. A tiny town, smack dab on the biking trail we use.


I found this on Amazon. I paid about $40 for mine, probably 20 years ago, and it is everything that I could ask for in a pizelle maker.



I developed this pizzelle recipe because I wanted to use an egg substitute rather than the dozen eggs which my Mom's recipe called for. And find a way to reduce the 2 cups of vegetable oil. I have to admit that hers are a little lighter in texture than mine, but I can eat more of my pizzelles! And they still taste great.


Make the batter the day before because it really has to sit for the flavors to develop.







* Exported from MasterCook *


Pizzelles


Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 48


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces Egg Beaters® 99% egg substitute
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 ounces canola oil
2 teaspoons orange extract
2 teaspoons anise oil
4 1/4 cups Eagle Mills All-Purpopse Unbleached Flour


Beat first 4 ingredients until frothy. Mix in flavorings. Stir in flour (the batter should be the consistency of a very thick pancake batter; you should be able to scoop the batter out with a cookie scoop with ease). Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.


Heat pizzelle iron for 15 minutes. Using a paper towel, rub shortening into the grids.


Add a tablespoon of batter in the center of each form (I use a cookie scoop), the close and lock lid. Check after 40 seconds. Discard first 2 pizelles. Darker pizzelles will take about 55 seconds per batch.


Immediately remove pizzelles from iron to a cooling rack. Store in a loosely-covered container to keep crisp.


Yield:
"8 dozen"



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Per serving: 71 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (48% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 16mg Cholesterol; 12mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates


NOTES :
Other flavorings can be used: lemon extract, vanilla extract, with 1 tablespoon FRESH lemon zest, almond extract, vanilla extract, 1/4 cup very finely ground, toasted almonds (decrease flour by 1/4 cup)

Easter 2009

I used 1/4 cup of almond syrup and 1 tablespoon of almond extract, and also needed to add a little extra flour.