Pizzelle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite its references or sources.
Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since November 2006.

A pizzelle (pronounced with tz sound, like "pizza") is a traditional Italian waffle cookie made from flour, eggs, sugar, butter or vegetable oil, and flavoring (often vanilla, anise, or lemon zest). Pizzelles can be hard and crisp or soft and chewy depending on the ingredients and method of preparation.

Pizzelles were originally made in the Abruzzo region of south-central Italy. The name comes from the Italian for "round" and "flat" (pizze); this is also the meaning of the word pizza. Many other cultures have developed a pizzelle-type cookie as part of their culture. It is known to be one of the oldest cookies.

The cookie dough or batter is put into a pizzelle iron, which resembles a waffle iron. The pizzelle iron is held by hand over a hot burner on the stovetop, although some models are electric and require no stove. Typically, the iron stamps a snowflake pattern onto both sides of this thin golden-brown cookie, which has a crisp texture once it is cooled. There are also several brands of ready-made pizzelle available in stores.

Pizzelles are popular during Christmas and Easter. They are often found at Italian weddings, alongside other traditional pastries such as cannoli.

[edit] References

“Pizzelle Traditions.” Chef’s Choice. 15 Sept. 2006. Edgecraft Organization. 4 Dec. 2006 <http://www.chefschoice.com/page2f_ph.html>.

Stradley, Linda. “History of Cookies.” What’s Cooking America. 26 Sept. 2006. 4 Dec. 2006 <http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/CookieHistory.htm>.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../p/i/z/Pizzelle.html"