CLASSIC PIZZELLE

No Italian holiday is complete without crisp, buttery pizzelle. Rather than the typical anise flavor, we've made them a bit more neutral with a splash of good quality vanilla. Nonna turning over in her grave? You can still use the anise.

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs
5 1/4 ounces sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 ounces melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla until well combined.
2. Stir in the flour and baking powder, mixing until smooth.
3. Add the melted butter, again mixing until smooth; the batter will be thick and soft.
4. Heat your pizzelle iron. Grease it as directed in the manufacturer's instructions. As the iron heats, the batter will stiffen.
5. Cook the pizzelle according to the instructions that came with your iron. In general, they'll take between 45 seconds and 2 1/2 minutes to brown.
6. Remove the pizzelle from the iron, and cool on a rack. If desired, use a pair of scissors to trim any ragged edges.
7. Dust cooled pizzelle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

You find a pizzelle cookie iron here at Amazon

TIPS:

Flavor to taste: classic pizzelle are often flavored with anise extract or anise seed. Butter-rum, lemon, or rum flavors are also delicious. Simply add extract to the batter to taste. Start with 1/4 teaspoon; amounts will vary a lot, depending on the strength of the extract you choose.

The best way to grease your pizzelle iron is to dip a towel in vegetable oil, and wipe it all over the iron's interior plates. This helps avoid the sticky residue you may get from spraying the iron with non-stick spray.