This Italian Pizzelle recipe is a classic Christmas cookie that we all know and love. They're super easy to make with a light and slightly crisp texture you won't be able to get enough of!
Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove and set aside to cool.
Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
While the butter cools, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla or anise extract until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add a small amount of the butter to the batter and mix it well and then slowly add butter more while mixing until well combined to prevent the butter from cooking the egg. By slowly adding the warm butter, it will also slowly change the temperature to avoid scrambling the eggs (note: if you do find that you've scrambled the eggs, don't worry, just run the batter through a strainer to remove the chunks).
Add flour and baking powder mixture to the batter and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides.
Dip a folded paper towel into a very small amount of vegetable oil and carefully rub it over the pizzelle iron. Close the iron and heat fully.
Once heated, place a 1-2 teaspoons of batter around the middle of each cookie press on the iron and quickly spread it slightly. Every machine is different, so it'll be around a couple teaspoons of batter into each cookie part of the iron and after the first couple cookies, you'll figure out the best amount.
Once the batter is in, close the iron tightly and keep it closed for around 30 seconds. Again, this will vary by machine, but you want the cookies to be just starting to get a tiny bit golden.
Using a small fork, carefully remove the cookies and place them on a cooling rack with parchment underneath in a single layer until fully cooled. The cookies will be soft at first but will harden a bit once they've been sitting for a few minutes.
Serve immediately or store in a cardboard clothing gift box at room temperature for up to two weeks.