Festive Gingerbread Pizzelle Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my pizzelles not crunchy? ›

Pizzelles should be crunchy! They're a thin, light, crispy cookie. If your pizelles are soft, it means they have absorbed moisture from the air or they weren't cooked enough.

Some recipes use baking powder in their batter – this gives a slightly softer, thicker pizzelle.

The best way to keep pizzelle cookies nice and crisp is to make sure they are cooled completely before storing or stacking. They're best stored wrapped in aluminum foil but you can also use plastic bags, containers, or cookie tins once cooled.

Let cookies remain in warm oven for an hour or longer to dry out. This should help return some of the crispiness to the pizzelles.

As far as the fat used in pizzelle, some recipes will call for oil, others margarine, lard or Crisco. But having tried other fats, I always return to unsalted butter. They crisp up nicely, don't have an oily aftertaste, and cook to perfection in their special pizzelle press.

Soft cookies have a water concentration of 6% or higher – moisture being the variable in texture. To make cookies crispy, add less liquid or bake it in the oven for longer to dry out the dough.

Oil - it could very well be that modern pizzelle makers are so "nonstick" that you do not need to use any cooking spray. Am noting here that when you research recipes, you may encounter a debate about whether or not to use oil or butter. For years our family uses a light spray of cooking oil as needed - it's just fine.

A Crispy History

Pizzelles, the oldest known waffle cookies, originated in Italy. The name pizzelle is based on the Italian word 'pizze' meaning round and flat, with the ending 'elle' referring to its small size.

A: Did you coat the pizzele maker with oil before starting to make a batch? That's the first thing you must do each time. Put a little oil on it, wipe up the excess and heat it up!

*Tip: Make sure you fully cool your pizzelles and do not cover for several hours as they will get mushy and soft – you want them to stay crispy! That's why I love my metal tin or glass containers – they keep them nice and fresh!

How long are homemade pizzelles good for? ›

Storage: Store Pizzelle at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (for best results, layer the cookies between pieces of parchment paper or wax paper). Freezer: Pack cooled Pizzelle in a sturdy container between layers of parchment or wax paper (they may get broken if they are just in plastic bags).

Pizzelles have a decent shelf life. To keep them tasting fresh and crunchy, stack them between pieces of parchment in an airtight container. They can also be popped in the freezer for a few months or left on the counter for a few days.

It is also common to sandwich two pizzelle with cannoli cream (ricotta blended with sugar) or hazelnut spread. Pizzelle, while still warm, can also be rolled into a tubular shape using a wooden dowel to create cannoli shells.

Some say their heritage can be traced to a similar Roman sweet dating to the 8th century and called crustule or crustulum. Also known by the names ferratelle or cancelle, pizzelle means little pizza and comes from the Italian word “pizze,” meaning round or flat.

Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling? If the dough is too wet, then it will dissolve the sugar and the crinkle will get lost. In order for a defined crinkle to form, the surface of the dough needs to be dry. If your cookies are not crinkling then there is too much free water in the dough.

Heat your pizzelle maker, grease it with a little olive oil and add a generous spoon of your batter. Remove the excess batter with a fork (and remember like Nonna to always clean the stove when you finish!). Lay the cooked pizzelle on the table as they will dry faster.

Pizzelle are made on a pizzelle iron, which works a lot like a waffle iron. Add the batter to the heated iron (it usually only needs to be greased for the first batch), then close and cook for about 90 seconds.

If you think about it, decorative sugars are meant to keep their structure throughout the baking; the crystals look the same when they come out of the oven as when they go in. That won't make any crinkles. They recommend rolling in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar for maximum crackle.