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Day 9 of Cookiemas 2025.
I followed a recipe from Keeping It Simple and it turned out wonderfully. One note: my pizzelle iron yielded about 12–14 cookies, not the 25 listed in the original recipe, so plan accordingly if you need a larger batch.
I invested in a higher-end pizzelle iron (over $100), which is why it took me a while to try these — but it’s worth it if you plan to make pizzelles regularly. The iron heats up very well, so be sure to time them carefully to avoid burning; I found 1 1/2 to 2 minutes works best and set my timer for 2 minutes each time.
The recipe includes anise extract and vanilla. If you haven’t tasted anise before, it has a licorice-like note. Use only a little anise so it complements the vanilla instead of overpowering it; the combination creates a nicely balanced pizzelle flavor.
It took a few attempts to find the right portion of batter that fits the mold without too much running off the edges. Once dialed in, the process is quick and easy: scoop, press, and time. The result is a delicate, crisp cookie with minimal effort.
Step-by-step Photos:
Melissa at Keeping It Simple has excellent step-by-step photos if you plan to follow her recipe, so check them out for more visual guidance. Since I film my process, I also included progress photos below to show how my batter and cookies looked at each stage.
I mixed everything until the batter matched the consistency shown in the photos.
After placing measured scoops of batter on the hot iron, I closed it and let the cookies bake until golden.
The finished pizzelles were crisp and flavorful — a high reward for relatively little effort.
Recipe
For the full ingredient list and instructions, please refer to Keeping It Simple to follow the original recipe.
Tools & Equipment
Electric Pizzelle Iron
This is the electric pizzelle iron I used to make these cookies; it heats quickly and produces consistent results.
Cookie Scooper (Vollrath #30 – 1 ounce)
The Vollrath #30 cookie scooper holds about 1 ounce and matched the portion size that worked well for my pizzelle iron.
Cookiemas Recipes
This was Day 9 of Cookiemas. Here are the other days in the series:
- Caramel Cuts. Really just brown sugar blondies — soft and tasty from Doug’s childhood.
- Anzac Biscuits. An Australian oat cookie with coconut; I made these again at my mom’s request.
- Vaniljekranse. Danish butter cookies like the ones in the holiday tins.
- Sagu Keju. Tapioca and cheese cookies with a powdery, cheesy texture.
- Roccoco. An Italian spice cookie full of holiday flavors.
- Korekomki. A Bulgarian ballerina cookie resembling thin pie crust dusted with vanilla sugar.
- Mbatata. African cookies made with sweet potatoes and raisins.
- Pradobranci. Balkan-style cookies similar to macarons but easier to make.