I was first introduced to pizzelles when I was a little girl visiting my “Nana”. Nana was a lefty so when the stroke damaged the right side of her brain, her once deftness in the kitchen was gone. Since the stroke happened before I was around, I don’t have any Marie Callendar type memories of my grandmother. However, thanks to Nana’s neighbor Kate, I do have one holiday tradition that I can associate with my grandmother: pizzelles.

I don’t know if Kate made them for everybody or if they were just for us, but either way they were delicious. The thin and crisp texture of the cookie combined with the hint of anise were just heaven to me. Nana and I always ate so many pizzelles, usually as a snack while we played cards or watched Golden Girls.

After Nana died, I went without pizzelles for a long time. It wasn’t until a few years ago that my mom bought a pizzelle maker. I found myself making batches of the little snowflake cookies yet again. Both Nana and Kate may be gone, but I remember them every time I eat a pizzelle.

Pizzelles

3 eggs
1/2 tsp. anise seed or extract
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. AP flour
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter melted
3/4 c. sugar

1. Beat eggs and sugar.
2. Add melted and cooled butter, vanilla and anise to sugar and egg mixture.
3. Sift flour and baking powder and add to wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.

With your pizzelle maker, drop about a teaspoon to a tablespoon of the dough on the middle of each grid plate. Close the lid and let bake for about 30 seconds. Remove from pizzelle maker with a spatula. While they are still hot, feel free to roll into a cone or even a bowl shape. Use less dough for smaller, lacier edged pizzelles. Enjoy plain, dusted with powdered sugar or even Nutella. Dough can be refrigerated for use at a later time. Cookies should be kept wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Makes about 30 cookies

Related posts:

1. Cookies (The Kind You Eat)
2. Peanut Butter Cookies
3. Snickerdoodles (w/o much doodle)