*I*talian Pizzelles

Welcome to Day #9 in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, the letter *I*.

*I*talian Pizzelles

Everytime I post something about making homemade Italian Pizzelles, I get a lot of comments and email asking about them: what they are, how I make them, etc.  So, I thought that I would share my grandmother's recipe.  She has been gone 16 years now, but by continuing to make her "signature" recipes (I even use her pizzelle iron), I am passing on not only memories, but a legacy to the next generation.  :-)  And for those of you that have not had the pleasure of trying pizzelles (they are SO good!), they are a very light and thin Italian cookie.  It is time consuming to make them in the volume that I do (it usually takes me about 2- 2 1/2 hours from start to finish), but you can easily cut the recipe in half or even in thirds.  I make the whole recipe (which is several hundred pizzelles) for large family gatherings (Christmas, Easter, etc.) and they do tend to get consumed quickly.  :-)

Italian Pizzelles
12 eggs
27 tablespoons shortening (melt it before hand and let it cool)
30 tablespoons sugar
30 drops of anise oil (use a dropper) (anise oil can be purchased at any Italian market or online.  Do not use anise extract, which is completely different!)
4 cups flour

Beat eggs, sugar and anise oil first, then add the melted shortening, beat again.
Add flour, one handful at a time
When dough starts riding up beaters, stop and use a wooden spoon to finish mixing

Put some shortening on paper towel to grease the pizzelle iron on both sides.  Turn iron on.  Once hot, put small teaspoon of dough on each side and close for about 30 seconds.  Repeat. (over and over again, lol!)

They are truly a special and delicious treat that my family and friends always ask for and enjoy.

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