Pizzelle Recipe (Classic Italian Waffle Cookies)

5 stars from 5 reviews

Pizzelle cookies are delicate and crisp Italian waffle cookies flavored with anise. Make this Italian cookie recipe for a holiday dessert!

Servings: 5-inch pizzelles

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Heat pizzelle waffle iron while preparing the batter.
Measure 1 tablespoon anise seed into a small saucepan. Heat over medium for about 1 minute, stirring regularly, until seeds are toasted. Transfer toasted anise seed to a pestle and grind with a mortar until finely ground.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until pale yellow and slightly thickened (about 3 minutes).
Beat in melted butter, vanilla extract, ground anise seed, and anise extract, if using.
Combine flour and a pinch of salt and add to the egg mixture. Toss in the ground anise seed and then mix everything together, just until combined. Batter will be very thick.
Brush the waffle iron with a bit of melted butter if it is not a non-stick iron.
Add 2 tablespoons of batter to each space on the pizzelle waffle iron. Use a piping bag with a large open tip (like tip 1A) to pipe a flatter, more widely distributed swirl of batter onto the iron.
Close the iron and cook until the pizzelles are golden brown. Remove from iron.
Use a 5” biscuit or cookie cutter to trim any excess batter from the embossed pizzelle shape.
Allow pizzelles to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Some recipes use baking powder in their batter - this gives a slightly softer, thicker pizzelle. Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder with the flour and salt to try this method.
This recipe produces a crisp, thin cookie. The ground anise seed adds some texture and flavor. For even more anise flavor, use anise extract as well as the seed. Toasting the anise seed adds a nuttier fragrance to the spice. The difference is subtle and it is not necessary to toast the anise seed.
Two tablespoons of batter was about the right amount to fill out the full 5” pizzelle space. On a nonstick iron, it’s difficult to spread the batter as it is very thick and slides off the plate. A scoop in the center of the iron tends to spread unevenly (squishing out the front without fully covering the back of the space, for example). Piping a swirl of batter onto the plate turned out perfect pizzelles every time.