Daytime Kitchen: Holiday Baking 101

ROANOKE – Mary Rapoport is back in our Daytime Kitchen with a Baking 101 Lesson for our hosts as the Holiday Baking Season approaches. Plus, she's teaching us a tasty traditional Holiday cookie recipe for "Pizzelles"

Pizzelles

Pronounced peet say’ las, these star shaped cookies are traditional confections made in Italian homes, using a special waffle iron, that makes a crisp, thin cookie.  Seasoned with whatever flavorings ring your chime, or even flavored liqueurs, these fragile cookies need to be stored in tins and handled with care.  Dusted heavily with powdered sugar, they make a wonderful addition to your cookie tray during the holidays, since they’ll resembled snowflakes.  You can make them into faux cannoli, but rolling then into a tube while still hot, letting cool and filling with a pastry cream of your choice.

3 eggs

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine, melted

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla or Grand Marnier or flavoring of your choice

1 tsp. anise seed or anise extract

Add ingredients in the order listed and beat until well blended.  This can be made ahead, refrigerated, and the cookies made another day, if desired. 

Heat pizzelle griddle.  Spray with cooking spray.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto center of hot griddle.  Close lid and clip handle together.  Allow to cook until the steaming stops, about 60 seconds.  Remove with a fork and cool on a baking rack.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Store in tins.  

Makes about 3 dozen small star-shaped cookies