I can thank Pittsburgh for my foray into pizzelles. Before I met my husband, I had never made them, saw them in Italian bakeries, I’m not even sure I had ever tasted them. But the first time I went home to western Pennsylvania with my husband, I was introduced to the art of the iron pressed cookie. Immediately when I walked into his parents’ house, I was greeted with an intense aroma of anise. Apparently, my future father-in-law had been positioned at the pizzelle iron for hours making enough cookies to feed the city of Pittsburgh. The iron is brought out for every visit, every wedding (if you don’t know the tradition for the cookie table in western Pennsylvania, you are seriously missing out) and especially for Christmas. At my in-laws’ house, the pizzelles are magic: we sit around the table all evening, talking and laughing and eating pizzelles. But somehow, magically the platter is never empty. It’s a true Christmas miracle courtesy of my mother-in-law, Dolores.
The traditional recipe from Doug’s family still remain our family favorite, but like the biscotti, I have tried some delicious variations: gingerbread (from Smitten Kitchen), chocolate mint, vanilla. This year’s variety gets rolled up and fancied up with a cinnamon cream filling. Make sure you roll them immediately when they come off the iron – they firm up very quickly. You will burn a few fingers – totally worth it!
Orange Amaretto Pizzelles with Cinnamon Cream Filling
Add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl and beat to combine. Whisk in the butter, a little at a time. Add the liqueur, orange zest, and extract. Mix well and set aside.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl, and whisk to combine.
A little at a time, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.
Heat the pizzelle iron and lightly spritz it with the nonstick cooking spray.
Add about 1 tablespoon of the batter to the center of the patterned part of the iron. Bake according to the maker’s instructions, about 30-40 seconds, or until lightly golden.
Remove from iron and immediately roll the cookie (it helps to do one at a time instead of two).
Whip the cream in a cold stainless bowl until it starts to thicken. Add sugar and cinnamon and continue beating until the consistency is correct. Be careful not to over beat as it will start to separate.
Use a piping bag to fill with cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl and beat to combine. Whisk in the butter, a little at a time. Add the liqueur, orange zest, and extract. Mix well and set aside.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl, and whisk to combine.
A little at a time, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.
Heat the pizzelle iron and lightly spritz it with the nonstick cooking spray.
Add about 1 tablespoon of the batter to the center of the patterned part of the iron. Bake according to the maker’s instructions, about 30-40 seconds, or until lightly golden.
Remove from iron and immediately roll the cookie (it helps to do one at a time instead of two).
Whip the cream in a cold stainless bowl until it starts to thicken. Add sugar and cinnamon and continue beating until the consistency is correct. Be careful not to over beat as it will start to separate.
Use a piping bag to fill with cream.
You say to add extract in your directions but do not have it listed in your ingredients???
Hi Shannon –
If you are like me, you are baking more than ever! Sorry for the oversight on the recipe. It has now been corrected (1 tsp. orange extract). Hope you enjoy them!
Can you also amend the recipe to indicate how much baking powder please?
Sorry for the oversight! It’s 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
Can you substitute grand Manier for the orange extract?
I think that would be delicious! Let me know how it comes out!