Almond Pizzelles ♥

 

This winter is starting to feel endless.  The holidays are over and all we are left with now are cold(freezing actually) days, snow, and ice.  I am itching to decorate my house with fresh flowers and color! I think the technical term for what I have is called the January blues.  Is anyone else suffering from this? I'm done with being cold.  I'm dreaming of warm breezes coming through my windows, waking up in the morning to the sunshine (and not the darkness) and seeing flowers in my yard.  I know, I have to be patient.  I'm working on it.  I'm keeping busy. I just started and wonderful book called Lost Lake on my Kindle (I'll tell you more about that later) that I cannot put down.  It's so good! I'm watching endless amounts of Brittish TV shows on Netflix (have you seen the Forsyte Saga yet???) and I've been in the kitchen doing a lot of baking - trying to keep the house warm and cozy.  This is what lifts my spirits.

 

This past week we were snowed in (again) due to a storm that dropped 15 inches of snow on us!  I decided to make cookies.  Since we were housebound I didn't have many ingredients on hand.  No chocolate chips!!!  Uh-Oh! What to do?  Then I caught a glimpse of my pizzelle maker waaaay in the back of the cabinet.  Hmmm, maybe I'll give this a go? I pulled it out, dusted it off, and suddenly remembered how much we love pizzelles. I got this pizzelle maker as a shower gift over 15 years ago and I've only used it a few times.  I don't know why.  The cookies are delicious, require very few ingredients, and come together in no time.  I whipped up two dozen of these while my little guy watched Home Alone 1,2,3,4,&5.  It was a marathon! My house is currently booby-trapped because my son is obsessed with these movies.  I'm not kidding.  Last night my husband got a broom in the face when he opened the hall closet door! : )

 

 

Anyway, if you have a pizzelle maker and want to give these a try, here is the recipe.  I used the one that came in my operating instructions, although I looked at some other recipes online and they are all pretty much the same.  Easy-Peasy....

3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons almond extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted & cooled
3/4 cup sugar

First melt the butter.  Set aside for it to cool.

 Beat the eggs and sugar.

Add the cooled butter, vanilla, and almond extract.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and then add it to the wet mixture.  Blend well. 

Heat up your pizzelle maker.  Mine took about 8 minutes to come to full baking temperature.  Coat the entire surface (top and bottom) with a nonstick cooking spray. 

 

 

Drop one heaping teaspoon of batter onto each mold.  I learned it is better to put the batter a little behind center (toward the back) to produce fuller size cookies. You will see this with experimentation.  After a few tries you will find what spot and amount of batter works best for you. 

 

 

 

 

Close the iron and wait approximately 35 seconds (these cookies cook up fast!).  Remove with a fork and place on a cookie rack to cool.  No two are alike. Don't worry about imperfections. They taste so good it really doesn't matter : )

 

 Pretty as a picture!

 

Once cooled they will become nice and crispy!  Sprinkle with powered sugar if you like ♥

 



  

 

You can do so many things with pizzelles. Right after you remove them from the iron you can shape them into cups and fill them with ice cream or pudding, you could shape them into cannoli shells and fill them with pastry cream, or even make ice cream sandwiches with them.  Also, experiment with the flavorings.  For a more traditional flavor, omit the almond extract and add 1/2 teaspoon anise.  I've even had them made with lemon extract, and that's really good too!   

 

Get yourself a cup of espresso...

and the current book you are reading on your Kindle and have a moment to yourself.

I did eventually share with my family, but the first few went to me (John was still busy booby-trapping the house).  These light, crispy cookies remind me so much of Spring.  And since its nine degrees out today I needed a little pick me up! 

Have a nice weekend, Friends! If it's warm where you are, please send some of it my way....xo