Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Comfort Cookies from Grandma

Giving Thanks




They say this was the first cookie I ever ate....maybe that is why they are dear to my heart. My grandmother came over on the boat from Italy and I bet she had her pizzelle iron under her arm.
She made these anise flavored cookies every Christmas so it is tradition I must carry on. You will need a Pizzelle Iron to make these. They are a favorite around this place. And with you, I will share her recipe, and the recipe would mean nothing unless you could see her face, and I guess you will see mine too :) She turned 98 this October. I can not imagine being without her.

Pizzelle Cookies

12 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups oil
4 cups flour
1 tsp pure anise oil
1 Tblsp anise seeds

Beat eggs well. Add sugar gradually. Add oil and beat until smooth. Add flour a little at a time and mix well. Chill dough 2 hours, or overnight, or even a few days . Make small dough balls, about an inch in diameter. Drop balls on center of preheated grid. Close lid and clip handles together. Allow to cook til steaming stops, about 30 seconds. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 12 dozen cookies.Thank you to Kelli for helping me to think outside of the blogbox for ideas for posting. I feel like this post is more of a tribute to my dear grandmother than about cookies.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those cookies are amazing..so beautiful. I've never heard of an iron like this.

I loved my grandmother more than anyone. I long to be like her in every way. She passed away about 9 years ago at 93 years old. I enjoyed her recipe box that was passed to me.

Knit-Wit said...

Your grandmother is beautiful. My husband's grandmother turned 93 this fall.

I have had those cookies before and they are WONDERFUL! I can just taste them melting in my mouth now. Yum! Thanks for sharing this special recipe. Wish I had an iron now. :-)

Robin said...

My mother-in-law is full Italian - her parents were Italian immigrants. We eat a lot of Italian food but I have never heard of that iron. Can you get them here?
How blessed you are to still have your beautiful grandmother with you!

Janne said...

What a wonderful tradition, and these look delicious!

Your grandma looks like a delightful woman.

Susie said...

This post was so full of love, both in the picture, but also in the tribute to your beloved Grandma.
You are truly blessed to have her in your life.
Those cookies sound delish!
xo

Mommy said...

I would love to try this. My husband LOVES anise, but doesn't usually go for cookies. If I make this, then maybe he would eat them. But do you need that special iron? Because I do not have one. How else could I make them?

Unknown said...

I have eaten your cookies. In fact, I miss them now that I live too far away for a sample. They were a favorite treat for me during Christmas with a cup of tea at 3:00 on a cold Illinois afternoon. Remember when???

Lori4squaremom said...

What a beautiful tribute to your grandmother! And those cookies look amazing! I'm going to have start scouring the thrift stores and antique stores for a pizzelle iron. I know that Bakers Catalogue carries them, but they are pricey.

Blessings!
Lori4squaremom
http://lori.scottdomain.com

Sandra said...

Those look amazing, I bet they just melt in your mouth :)

What a sweet tribute to your grandmother, she's beautiful :)

Willow said...

What a lovely photo of you and your grandma. You are beautiful!
I love hearing about different cookie traditions. I make MY grandma's sugar cookies every Christmas. My sil makes Swedish limpa as the professor's mom always made it.

Susan said...

They sure are pretty!!
Susan

Karen said...

They look delicious! I love seeing your pretty face, too. That's a treasure to have a picture with your precious grandmother. Mine is 95 this year. We are blessed to still have her with us.
Love putting a name with a face! Thanks for sharing yours!

Tammy said...

I have seen these type cookies in the bakery at Kroger's. I don't believe I've ever had any! I may get some to try out now, but I bet they are not near as good as your homemade recipe!
Love the picture!

violetlady said...

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe and also the picture of you and your grandmother. My Nana lived to be 99. She was quite a lady and I dearly loved her. I have my great aunt's butter cookie recipe -- maybe I'll try it this year. I can just taste that pizzelle cookie.

BClark said...

Thank you so much for the cookies and how wonderful you have your Grandmother still with you. Please thank her for the recipie and also for a wonderful Grandaughter. I miss my Grandfather still, he died at 94 back in the early 70's. I still talk to him and just hope he knew how much I loved him.
Best to you, Barbara

magnoliasntea said...

This is a great post! I've always wanted to try making pizzelles. I love the pictures.

Thanks for the nice comment on my Sparkle Flake pattern. Hope it turns out well for you.

BlunderWoman said...

I just came across this post googling...my grandmother (89) has made these since I can remember, too. I have a regular electric iron but in the past year or so have gotten into collecting old cast iron/aluminum stovetop irons from eBay. The first time I tried to make them, I failed miserably, but recently adjusted the recipe and managed some nice ones on the hand iron, over my gas burner. My grandmom told me how she used to make the dough and give them to her husband to hold over the stove.

Definitely comfort food. The smell of them cooking will always == grandmom.

Katey's World said...

Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I love Pizzies (as we called them growing up). When my Nana (my grandmother) passed away, there was a fight from 52 grandchildren as to who would get (1) her cookie press and (2) her old, tin cookie tin, which is not worth anything but the wonderful memories from all of the grandkids. Whenever we would go to her house, she would have a fresh batch of "Pizzies" and her very wonderful gingerbread cookies. It was a very tearful moment at her funeral when one of my cousins passed out a tin of cookies (she actually found someone on Ebay who had a bunch of old cookie tins!) to everyone at her memorial service. We all cried like little kids because the memory was so dear. Again, thanks for (1) sharing your wonderful recipe and (2) for making me stop to remember one of the most wonderful ladies in my life, my Nana. Sincerely, Katey

Katey's World said...

Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! It reminded me so very much of the cookies my Nana (grandmother) made for us when we would visit her. She made what she called "Pizzies" which all of the grandkids call to this very day and the most amazing molasses cookies. When my Nana passed away, there was a huge fuss over who would get her "pizzie" pan and the cookie tins she had for each family so that her 52 grandkids and 145 great-grand kids wouldn't fight over them. She passed away at the age of 97 and the loss is still so very insilled in all of us. At her memorial service after the funeral, one of my cousins passed out a cookie tin full of my Nana's cookies (she was able to buy all of the wonderful tins on Ebay and made cookies for everyone). Needless to say, when each of us were passed a tin of our Nana's cookies, we all bawled like little children. Thank you for your wonderful recipe but most of all, thank you for reminding me of what an amazing influence our Grandmother's have one many of us.

DJ Cory D. said...

I was wondering about the 1st picture of the pizzelles on the round crimson colored plate. My mother & my grandmother both used to make pizzelles that were that "exact" shape & pattern. I've been looking for that exact pizzelle iron to give to my mother for her 25th wedding anniversary. She said that my grandmother accidentally threw her pizzelle maker away when it had broken down. I know that the pattern shouldn't matter, but to me it does. Would you happen to know the name/brand of that exact pizzelle maker. Thanks for your time! Cheers!