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January 9, 2014

Almond Pizzelles

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

My grandma is one of those people who never shows up to party empty-handed. This is just one of the many reasons I’d like to be her when I grow up. I always remember being excited to see what she had in her hands when she walked through the doorway of my parents house. Whatever it was, I knew it was bound to be good. Of course it was always a treat when she brought pizzelles with her. And in my grandma’s fashion of recycling before recycling was cool, her cookies would be in a decoy container so the real fun was to see what was inside. We always knew that meatballs were in an emptied milk container. Pizzelles had to be in something HUGE. Just look at what a stack looks like!

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Before my grandma left to live in a retirement home in New York, she went through her kitchen and put aside a few things for me. I accepted her pizzelle maker. with great pride because I knew that with it in my possession, I had the power to make my father happy & nostalgic for his childhood. Now, it’s something that will help build memories in our own household. Cooper was an instant fan.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

I stood in my kitchen the other day and made pizzelles thinking of my grandma. I thought about how she doesn’t have a computer and how much I wish I could show her a picture of these pizzelles.  I know she’d be proud of me and I know she’d be the first to tell me to put anise seeds in the batter. I ran out, Grandma! These cookies are crisp and delicate, slightly almond-y, and perfect with a cup of coffee. It’s like eating a waffle cone before it’s been shaped.  I can just imagine my late grandfather eating a few with a demitasse cup of espresso spiked with anisette. Gives me warm/fuzzy feelings.

And we’re off! I love that this recipe requires pantry/kitchen staples.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Eggs and sugar get a little whisking.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

In goes the melted butter that looks more egg yolky than my egg yolks!

Vanilla and ALMOND EXTRACT show up to the party. If you want you could add anise seeds, grated citrus zest or another extract that you fancy. I love that you can customize this.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Next we sift our flour & baking powder over the wet mixture. Batter coming right up!

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Delicious batter. This is the first batter I’ve made in awhile and this might be weird to say but seeing those swirls of goodness made me feel happy and safe.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Since my pizzelle maker. didn’t come with instructions, I had to figure things out on my own.

First round, I filled up the iron with a little too much batter.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

I also realized that if I put the batter in the MIDDLE of the iron it would seep out the front and not spread towards the back so I placed about a tablespoon of the batter off-center–more towards the back.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Another thing I learned is that it takes my iron about 35 seconds to make the cookies, so I used my stopwatch on my phone to track it. Alternately, you’re supposed to remove them when you see the steam stop coming out.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

Tada!! Not entirely perfect, but no big deal. They taste amazing.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

I lined the pizzelles on a cooling rack with some parchment underneath.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

To hide any imperfections, I added powdered sugar on top! The cookies themselves aren’t super sweet so adding a little sugar makes them prettier/hides imperfections/makes it obvious who broke into the cookie jar. As a side note, don’t wear black when you’re eating them!

If you have powdered sugar on your clothes, I know what you’ve been up to.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

So pretty.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

The recipe is supposed to make 24, but I got 18 out of the deal. I think it’s because my first two had too much batter. They were a bit thicker than the others and that didn’t stop me from eating them. Or maybe I ate the first two. These things, I do not remember.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

I used to think that it was kind of a waste of space to have a pizzelle maker.

Almond Pizzelles // shutterbean

I am now a firm believer in them. It seriously took no time to make a batch of cookies. I can whip these up for a party and make little ice cream sandwiches with them! I can’t wait to tinker with ingredients too.

Almond Pizzelles

makes 18-24

recipe slightly adapted from AllRecipes

  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup  (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • oil for pizzelle maker
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick. Stir in the melted butter, vanilla and almond extract. Sift together flour and the baking powder and stir the batter until smooth.

Heat the pizzelle iron, and brush top & bottom with oil. Drop about one tablespoon batter onto each circle on the iron. You may need to experiment with time and amount of batter to get the cookies right. Bake for 30-45 seconds, or until steam is no longer coming out of the iron. Carefully remove cookies from iron and place onto a wire rack to cool. Cool completely sprinkle each cookie lightly with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

  • Jenna

    Aww, that’s a lovely story about your grandma. If you can’t go visit then maybe (prehistoric concepts ) you could print out one of the photos and write a letter & post it to her (woah, so many things I haven’t done in such a long time!)

  • berrie

    oh yum ! what about printstagr.am/ or something similar ? this is the perfect way to share pictures with ehm, older relatives (or just people who have not smartphone or computer)
    *I* need go get back to letter writing in the first place…

  • Ludina

    OH MY GOD TRACY! I am an italian girl, and I am half from Abruzzo, where Pizzelle are seriously a huge deal! Pizzelle are one of the most famous breakfast item in this region, and I love ’em so much! it is really amazing to me this recipe is dear to you. THANK YOU you made me smile so much!
    Happy to find a common root in America 🙂 Love you,
    Thanks for your blog.
    Ludi

  • Kathy H.

    “demitasse cup of espresso spiked with anisette” – this brings back memories of my grandparents who were from Italy. Sitting at the big table on Sundays with the family – thanks Tracey~ these look delicious!

  • Jane M

    These look heavenly!!!!!!

  • Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health

    i have never had anything like this before but im already loving the idea of ice cream sandwich with it.

  • Missy

    So excited to see this post in my feed! Pizzelles were my grandmother’s specialty every Christmas and my mom now carries on the tradition since her passing. Anise extract is a MUST, the more anise flavor the better. As for how long to cook…my (very Catholic) grandmother’s recipe honest to goodness says to keep them in the iron for ‘One Hail Mary’ 🙂

    • mary beth

      That reminds me of a friend who says one Hail Mary for each turn of the curling iron in her hair 🙂

    • Erica

      My family makes them with anise, also! Almond is good, anise is amazing.

  • Katelyn

    This is such a sweet post! It really makes me miss my grandma. Also, these pizzelles look delicious. I’ve never had them before, but now I must.

  • mary beth

    These are just beautiful. I ran across my pizzelle iron over the holidays but never squeezed them into the “mix”. I take treats to my knitting group occasionally and these would be very nice. Im not gluten free but there are a couple people who attend that are, what do you think about trying to make these with almond flour or something that is GF? I have next to no experience using GF baking but enjoy a challenge now and then. Do you have any thoughts or recommendations? Im going to try your recipe as is . . .very soon

  • Maggie

    Loved this post so much – especially with the story of your grandma.

  • Claire @Lemon Jelly Cake

    So beautiful! We went Christmas caroling at a retirement home when I was a kid and one woman came to the door and wanted to give everyone the pizzelles she was making. 🙂

  • Lucy

    Love this post! It gave me the warm & fuzzies, too! My Italian mother in law makes pizzelles for my kids, it’s one of their most favorite grandma treats!

  • Kate Ramos

    So sweet! They are such beauties and I’m sure taste as good as they look!

  • Katrina @ WVS

    These are so pretty!! I’ve never even tried these before, but definitely need to. Yum!

  • diana

    a note about sharing photos with your grandma: i had this same thought when i made one of my grandma’s special baked good – she doesnt have a computer either. i shared it on instagram and there’s an app called Postagram that mails your instagram (and a message you write) out on a postcard to whoever you want. First one might be free and beyond that I think they’re 99 cents. She got a total kick out of it.

  • Katy

    I used to make the waffle cones when I worked at DQ and they sort of tasted like Pizzelles and I used to steal “broken” ones all the time. I love just about any almond baked good and these ones look delicious. Thin and delightful.

  • Heidi

    I love these cookies! I especially love the memories you have with these cookies, it’s so nice and nostalgic! happy new years!

  • Sarah | The Sugar Hit

    Great post. Grandparents are so special.

  • Colleen

    Tracy! So awesome. I’ve this very much. I even looked for Pizzelle Maker at Macy’s Northgate today- They don’t have them there, yet. I was so excited by your post, I would have bought it on the spot. 🙂 My grandmother made Itallian anise almond cookies and all sorts of biscotti, lemon cookies, ravioli and more. I always think of her when I bake. Isn’t that the sweetest way to remember someone? 🙂
    Thanks again.

  • kelsey

    sweet baby jesus those are beautiful.

  • Gaby

    holy freaking cow – I’d do just about anything for one of those. Or 12 dozen

  • Molly

    This is really sweet. My Grams has been bringing her chopped chicken liver to our house, all the way from Wisconsin to Philly, for as long as I can remember. Your pizzelles look more appetizing, but don’t tell Gram 🙂

  • Denise

    Beautiful post Tracy. So happy that you have a piece of your grandmother in your kitchen alongside you. I have my grandmother’s flour sifter and rolling pin; I use the sifter all the time even though it is a little wobbly.

  • Jessica B.

    This was such a Beautiful Post. I used to bake with my Nana all the time when I was younger, and I cherish those memories so much. Thank You for Sharing your Memories and this Recipe! 🙂

  • Judi

    My mom just gave me her pizzelle maker. She is a prolific baker, but decided that she should pass it on. (“Don’t tell your sister,” she said) lol Her recipe, the one she’s been making since I was a kid, involves at least 7 eggs and much oil, and anise extract and seeds. She has this huge red tin she puts them in. I so love the sharing of family memories and how we all have our own warm feelings associated with the love and warmth created by our moms and the food they created for us, and that we are passing on to our own children.

    • Tracy

      Makes me wonder how many eggs are in my grandma’s recipe… I’ve heard that the texture gets better with more eggs.

      • Judi

        The dough is thin and runny, and the texture of the pizzelle is very light and delicate. And delicious. My daughter loves them!.

  • aida mollenkamp

    Your grandma sounds like an awesome woman!

  • Stacey

    This was a beautiful post. She’d be so proud of you!

  • Betsy

    I love this post. I’ve never had pizzelles, but LOVE family food memories. I lost my grandma about a year and half ago and now every single time I make a pie I wish I could show her the crust. She showed me a million times how to make them but I just never could get them as flaky as hers were until recently. Thanks for sharing!!!

  • Biscuits and Such » Lovely Internet 1.17.14:

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  • Worthy of the Week | Oh Hey

    […] I’m going to need a pizzelle maker. I vaguely remember my Nana making these, or maybe I just associate them with grandmas, but I […]

  • Heidi - Apples Under My Bed

    I adored this post, so sweet and nostalgic. These are so different to anything I’ve ever seen in cookie land, I love that! Must keep my eye out for a pizzelle maker.
    Heidi xo

  • Almond Pizzelles | Oh Hey

    […] I first saw Shutterbean’s almond pizzelles I immediately had memories of my Nana making these crunchy cookies dusted with powdered sugar. Only […]

  • Georgia

    Your pizzelles look perfect to me! Totally homemade.
    Could you maybe tell me the brand pizzelle maker you used to make them?

  • Lisa

    These are terrible!! Way too much flour!! Came out horrible.

  • Worthy of the Week -

    […] I’m going to need a pizzelle maker. I vaguely remember my Nana making these, or maybe I just associate them with grandmas, but I […]

  • Scott

    Whoa, sure that’s not supposed to be two TEASPOONS almond extract? Two tablespoons is a lot for the quantity this makes. Even 2 tsp is a good amount.

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