Pizzelles are an Italian cookie made with a Pizzelle iron. My Italian grandmother made these at Christmas time every year when I was growing up. She would use a metal iron press that sat on the stove burner. I bought my own electric pizzelle iron, a much easier option then the old ones that heated on the stove.

A Pizzelle Iron can be purchased online or in some kitchen stores, like Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Here is an old fashioed one, it was heated on top of a stove, unlike the newer one above that is electric.

Makes about 2 dozen large or 30 small pizzelles.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 3¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups sugar
  Optional:
• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate for dipping
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening – optional

Directions

1. Melt butter in microwave or on stove. Set aside to cool.
2. Whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar.
3. Add the cooled butter. (Hot butter will cook the egg!)
4. Stir in the flour. Dough will be thick but gooey.
5. Heat pizzelle iron. When hot add about a tablespoon cookie dough into the center of each pizzelle impression. For smaller cookies, use less dough.
6. Clamp down handle if you want thinner cookies, and leave it unclamped for a thicker cookie.
7. Cookies cook quickly, remove when they are just slightly browned, careful not to overcook them and get brown. Remove hot cookies with a fork, and place flat to dry.
8. Optional – Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Add 1 tablespoon crisco for a smoother out the texture, if you choose. With a spoon, drizzle and spread a small amount of chocolate over the edge on both sides of the cookie.
9. Set chocolate cookies on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to harden the chocolate.