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Lupe and Cecilia Del Rivo's Pizzelle

Time1 hour 10 minutes
YieldsMakes about 4 dozen pizzelle
A stack of thin and crispy Italian pizzelle cookies from Lupe and Cecilia Del Rivo.
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times; styling by Ali Summers / For The Times)
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Crisp and light as air or chewy and sturdy, the consistency of the iconic pizzella depends on preference and pizzelle iron. These flat, round and delicate cookies are especially traditional to the holiday season, and add a festive touch to the table when dusted with powdered sugar. Seasoned with anise, citrus or simply vanilla — as Garibaldina Society members and grandmother-granddaughter team Lupe and Cecilia Del Rivo prefer — these Southern Italian cookies are highly customizable.

The necessary equipment — effectively a pizzelle-specific waffle iron — can be readily purchased online or in cooking shops such as Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma. For best results, place each spoonful of dough a little bit behind the actual center of the iron’s mold, so that when you lower the press, much of the batter comes forward resulting in a more centered finished product. Use tongs or, very carefully, your fingers to remove the cookies once they’re browned. Once cooled, pizzelle can be served fresh from the iron, covered in powdered sugar, dipped in chocolate and even used in an ice cream sandwich.

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Lupe Del Rivo's Pizzelle

1

Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a stand or hand-held mixer until well combined. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder together, add to the egg mixture and combine to form a smooth, thick batter.

2

Use a pizzelle iron to make the cookies. Drop about 1 tablespoon of batter (depending on your pizzelle iron, you may need a little more or less than 1 tablespoon) onto each patterned cookie grid on the pizzelle iron. Place the batter a little behind the exact center of the cookie grid so that when the lid is closed it will push the batter forward to the center, making a more evenly rounded pizzelle. Close the pizzelle iron and cook until the steam stops coming out of the iron, 20 to 45 seconds depending on your iron. Carefully remove cooked cookies to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining batter.

3

Allow the pizzelle to cool completely and store in an airtight container. To serve, dust with powdered sugar.