To get started, I wanted to share one of my husband's family favorites! This cookie also has a lot of great memories that go along with it! You can either read the mushy gushy stories below, or skip straight to the recipe. Up to you! :)
So we went to Red Robin...I know, I know...who remembers these things? It was 6 years ago! We enjoyed (well, I enjoyed) a few dinner dates and about a month of dating before he dumped me. Of course I was heartbroken, but I decided to try and become friends with him so that he'd want to change his mind :)
Around the end of October, our marching band season was coming to a close and our Senior Night was coming up. (BTW, Mike was the drum major and I was an assistant drum major. "D'awww!" Please see the awful picture below) Mike and I were hanging out a little more by that point, and he asked if I wanted to come over and make these pizzelles. At that point, I thought...eww anise cookies! I don't want to make those! But I humored him and went over to his house anyway. (Don't worry--there's not actually anise in these!!)
When I arrived at his house, his dad seemed happy to see me again, and Mike had stopped at the grocery store and picked up all of the ingredients that we would need. What high school guy does that?? Thanks Gram! I found out later that the whole time while we were making these, my mom and Mike's dad were texting each other saying how happy they were that we were hanging out! I believe sneaking of pictures was involved...But anyway, the rest is history! I love my man and I love these cookies :)
Story #2: Every Frescura woman owns a few necessary kitchen items that are given to her as a gift--a ravioli maker, a pasta press, and a pizzelle iron. Guess what...I've been a Frescura for a year and a half and I have yet to be gifted these important items. *hint hint Michael!!* Even my mom who is not a Frescura has all of those things!
Guess I should get to the cookie recipe itself now!
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the best pizzelle recipe out there!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: about 1 hour (It will take less time with multiple irons!)
Yield: Approx. 12 dozen cookies
Necessary Items:
- Pizzelle iron
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Cooling racks
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened
- 2 sticks margarine (1 cup), softened--I use Fleischmann's for best results!
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 8 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla
- 2/3 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups flour
Directions:
- In a large bowl**, cream together the butter, margarine, and both sugars.
- In a small bowl, combine the eggs and the vanilla. Add to the butter mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix with the butter mixture a little at a time, until well blended.
- For best results, refrigerate the dough overnight. Otherwise, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, prep the pizzelle iron by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. Once heated, drop a heaping teaspoonful of dough into the iron. (You should aim for the center of the cookie design.) Close the pizzelle iron the entire way, latching if possible. Cook for 1 minute until light golden brown. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack using two forks--cookies will be very fragile!
**We have found that a stand mixer with mixing blade does not thoroughly do the job. It leaves crumbs on the bottom that don't mix well and then splatter inside the iron. Instead, a very large bowl with hand mixer is best.