Crisp and light as air or chewy and sturdy, the consistency of the iconic pizzella depends on preference and pizzelle iron. These flat, round and delicate cookies are especially traditional to the holiday season, and add a festive touch to the table when dusted with powdered sugar. Seasoned with anise, citrus or simply vanilla — as Garibaldina Society members and grandmother-granddaughter team Lupe and Cecilia Del Rivo prefer — these Southern Italian cookies are highly customizable.
The necessary equipment — effectively a pizzelle-specific waffle iron — can be readily purchased online or in cooking shops such as Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma. For best results, place each spoonful of dough a little bit behind the actual center of the iron’s mold, so that when you lower the press, much of the batter comes forward resulting in a more centered finished product. Use tongs or, very carefully, your fingers to remove the cookies once they’re browned. Once cooled, pizzelle can be served fresh from the iron, covered in powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate and even used in an ice cream sandwich.
