Pizzelle – An Italian Holiday Tradition

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Joanne Natale Spigonardo

December 22, 2024

Most Italian families make the wonderful treat of pizzelle during the Holiday Season. Everyone has their own version either handed down through family recipes or from an improvisation of recipes from various sources. It’s all about the flavorings with some recipes calling for anise extract while others call for vanilla or even whiskey. The secret is the heat of the pizzelle iron and the amount of time for each pizzelle. Pizzelle need to be crisp and the sweet spot for the time for each to cook is about 45 seconds.

Pizzelle are the world’s oldest cookie. Historians say that pizzelle date back to the 12th century when pizzelle were first made by Monk Beato Roberto da Salle in the Abruzzo area of Italy. The origins are in the towns outside of Pescara and Ortona. The original Abruzzese name is ferratelle which means from the iron. Old pizzelle irons are an art form in their own right with some ancient ones that have crosses and geometric patterns. The most common are patterns of snowflakes.

The following is from my Mother-In-Law, Ida Spigonardo’s recipe. She was a master pizzelle maker, and passed the recipe down to us. My husband Francesco, has taken the reins of making them for holidays, parties, and on cold winter days for no reason. They are fun to do, with very little clean up. We share our bounty with family and friends.

Ingredients

  • 1 1⁄2cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit (do not use more than 1 cup) – 1 cup of melted Crisco is an alternative – but the butter is better
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla or 2 tablespoons anise extract or 2 tablespoons of whiskey
  • 3 1⁄2cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsps baking powder
  • Directions
  • Beat eggs and sugar together until thickened and pale.
  • Add the cooled melted butter and vanilla or anise.
  • Sift in flour and baking powder and mix until smooth.
  • Let batter stand for one hour at room temperature
  • Place a heaping Tbspn of batter in center of mold, close lid, and cook for 30-60 seconds.
  • Remove Pizzelle carefully with a fork and lay on flat surface till cool – they should be laid flat to cool for about an hour
  • Store in air-tight container – pizzelle will keep for several weeks

Pizzelle are great with your morning coffee or for an afternoon snack. Pizzelle are also a wonderful treat if you are watching your calories and depending on the size – they are usually only 70 calories each. A big and tasty cookie and worth every calorie!

So if you haven’t made pizzelle yet – invest in a pizzelle iron and make it your new 2025 hobby!

Wishing you all a Buon Natale & Felice Anno Nuovo!

About the Author

Joanne Natale Spigonardo has many years of experience in travel to Italy, Italian art, music, literature, film, history, wine, and cuisine. She is a lover of nature and beauty.  She is an advocate for Italian immigrant women, and the author of White Widow, which is available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/White-Widow-Joanne-Natale-Spigonardo/dp/B085DT65DB.  For more information about Joanne please visit her LinkedIn page:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-spigonardo-b4824a9/.

Published by spigonaj

Joanne Spigonardo Business Development Consultant Specializing in Sustainability, Higher Education, Career Management, and Public Relations In her former roles, Joanne served as Senior Associate Director at the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL) at Wharton. Joanne was also part of the Communications Office. She held positions as business manager of the Wharton Seminars for Business Journalists and for the Wharton Alumni Magazine. Joanne also served as the media relations coordinator. When with Alitalia Airlines, Joanne worked as a sales representative. Joanne graduated from The University of Pennsylvania with a BA and later graduated from the Wharton Aresty Institute of Executive Education. She has a strong background in development, management, marketing, and Italian language and culture. As a Wharton Mentor, she coached new employees on professional development, and is active in Penn’s Grievance panels. Joanne was on the board of governors for the University Club. Joanne is chair of the Delaware County Penn Alumni Interview Program and oversees alumni volunteers. As an alum of Penn and Wharton, and also a parent of two Penn graduates, she is a strong advocate in promoting Penn. At Wharton IGEL, Joanne had been in partnership with GreenBiz, Sustainable Brands, the Ethical Corporation, Pira Packaging International, Public Relations Society of America, the Green Sports Alliance, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, the Italian Consulate, the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Sonoma County Winegrowers Association, and the Nature Conservancy, as well as, many other NGO and government offices. She has brokered hundreds of corporate relationships for Wharton. Joanne is the author of her book, White Widow, published on Kindle and Amazon. The book is a fictional novel about 19th-20th Century Italian immigrants. https://www.amazon.com/White-Widow-Joanne-Natale-Spigonardo/dp/B085DT65DB

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