The Freshman Cook: Christmas Pizzelles!

I know everyone has a cookie that means Christmas to them. This Pizzelle is mine. I used to make this cookie with the lady who lived across the street from me when I was a little girl. Every year before Christmas I would get to go over to her house, and we would spend 2 entire days making cookies. We would listen to Christmas music and tell stories.  It was just me and her. She created an incredible memory for me. We always made these pizzelles. I can remember stacks and stacks of them when we were done. I don’t know why we made so many but every minute at her house was magical to me. So when I bite into a pizzelle, I am immediately transported back to snowy winter afternoons in a warm, comfortable  kitchen in Ohio, with the smell of anise and butter in the air, and the feeling of being loved. Maybe this cookie will evoke those feelings for you.

Christmas Pizzelles
6 Eggs 1 1/2 cups Sugar 1 cup Butter, melted 2 tablespoon Anise Extract 3 1/2 cup Flour 4 teaspoon Baking Powder Milk Chocolate Chips, melted White Almond Bark, melted crushed Candy Canes You will need a pizzelle maker to make these cookies. I got mine a few years ago after the holidays. When you use it, make sure to spray the mold area with pan spray, and to preheat the pizzelle maker. Beat your eggs, and
add your sugar a little bit at a time.
Beat until smooth. Add butter and anise. Mix together. Sift your flour and baking powder and add it to the mix. Mix well.  Dough will be sticky. Drop 1 tablespoon of batter onto your pizzelle baker. The first few cookies will probably be hit and miss as far as the placement of the batter and the cooking time. It is just something you have to experiment with. See what I mean? 🙂
It ended up that the best placement for my batter was slightly off center, and only cooked for 20 seconds. Let cool. The almond bark, chocolate, and candy canes are not part of a traditional pizzelle, but I wanted to do something different, and I think it looks pretty! Sprinkle the candy cane over the bark or chocolate. Let dry. Enjoy!