I just arrived home from Italy this past weekend. It is such a bittersweet feeling; I miss every little detail about my life there but am still grateful to be back with my family again, and my fully equipped kitchen of course!. Being that I haven’t been able to actually bake cookies for a hefty four months of time, I was itching to get my hands a little dirty in the kitchen. What better way to start baking again than to bring Italy back to America and make a classic Italian cookie popular during the holidays.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. vanilla paste
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

* For a more authentic Italian version, replace the vanilla with anise.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder and blend into the batter until smooth.

Heat the pizzelle iron, and brush with oil to prevent sticking. Drop about one tablespoon of batter onto each center on the iron. This will take a little practice to find out what amount is perfect for the circle. Bake for 45 seconds to 1 minute depending on how you like your pizzelles cooked. Carefully remove from the iron and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes.

To make a pretty presentation, sprinkle with some confectioners sugar. Enjoy! 🙂