About my Pizzelle,
About me........
My name is Gary and I learned
to make Pizzelle from my Grand-Aunt Helen (Mancini-Maiden Name,
and Prestera Uncle Tony's name) who had in turn, learned how to
make them from her Mother (my Great-Grandmother), Anna Mancini.
"Aunt Helen"
Pronouncing "Pizzelle"
OK, I don't want to be controversial on this site, so
I'm going to provide all of the links I can find on the net and
you can be the judge. Apparently there are many different
ways in Italian to treat various vowels and such where some get
left silent and some get emphasized. So the bottom line is
some are staunch defenders of "Pitt-Sell" while other
derivations such as "Pitts-Sell-Lay" are used. Let's be
blunt here, Americans have butchered "Espresso" as "Expresso"
for years. I pronounce it both ways but grew up using
"Pitts-Sell-Lay" and like the way it rolls off your tongue when
combined to make "Pizzelle-Man" (ME!) so I will weigh in here a
little and say no one way is right or wrong, it's just very
personal and sometimes people get very passionate about the
subject because it is so near and dear to them. I won't
condemn you, please don't condemn me or anyone else either, just
cherish your own personal memories or make new ones.
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link
Another
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link
Another
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link
Another
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link
Another
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link Italian suggestions!
Another
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link
Another
Pronouncing Pizzelle Link
Done yet? I think we can agree to disagree, or,
agree there are many different ways to pronounce it.
Therefore I, the "Pizzelleman" decree that you can pronounce it
any way you are most comfortable with, or grew up with, or the
way you like to say it personally.
The
recipe I use is what I was taught many years ago and is flavored
with Anise Seeds (I buy mine in bulk from
World Spice
located here in Seattle). I also use Anise Oil when making
Pizzelle for Aunt Helen's Son, Ron who gets Diverticulitis, and
literally can't "stomach" the seeds. Anise Oil is
extremely strong, and should be used exceedingly sparingly (1 or
2 Teaspoons tops) as it is very concentrated and too much will
ruin the batch.
Also, my family's recipe
utilizes a dough which is placed on the iron and cooked. I
hope you are not screaming and pounding on the keyboard at this
moment because you or a loved one used a batter. That's
fine with me, my family and friends love mine made from a dough
and that is what counts, so please get over it and no hating or
hate mail over a cookie.
Pizzelle can be plain or
flavored, and ours have always been flavored with anise to give
a hint of licorice flavor to the cookies. Some other
flavors I've heard of being used are; almond, chocolate,
hazelnut, lemon, and vanilla to start naming a few.
Oh, by the
way, I'm illustrating how these are made to preserve the
tradition of handmade Italian Pizzelle, but I'm not giving out
the family's recipe, so please don't ask.
I did find this
dough recipe on
the Internet if you would like to try one out.
My mother tells me she
can remember Anna and her friends sitting and enjoying the
Pizzelle while sipping a liqueur, but I like them with my
morning coffee or as dessert (by themselves, or with a good
quality vanilla bean ice cream).
My
brother (Dr. Dave) makes Ice Cream Sandwiches out of them with
Nutella
slathered on one side of each Pizzelle and a half inch or so of
slightly softened
Starbucks Coffee Ice
Cream in the middle.
Re-freeze them a little and, Violá! (See the
Recipes Page or
Dave's Ice
Cream Sandwich Page for a Pictorial lesson on how Dr. Dave
makes his Ice Cream Sandwiches)
Anna Mancini's Husband (my
Great-Grandfather), Annibale Mancini made the family's Pizzelle
Iron in 1920 which has been used continuously since. The
iron is engraved with his name on one side, and the year it was
made (1920) on the opposite side. It is a rectangular iron
with a smaller rectangular area in the middle for the name and
the date with some ornate markings stamped on the middle of the
iron and in the diamonds that comprise the pattern.
The
iron is made of steel and cast iron, not aluminum, and is one of
the more detailed and ornate hand made irons I have seen in many
years of viewing and buying Pizzelle Irons on
eBay.
I try to collect them to save them from the junkyard or recycle
bin, as each iron represents some family's tradition or heritage
which would otherwise be lost (see my
Online Museum).
I have also come the the
opinion that the material of the iron, clamping force, Etc.,
also influences how the Pizzelle turn out. So combine that
with a unique recipe and each family's Pizzelle is very
personal, not to mention all the love and care which goes into
making these cookies for those you are close to.
The iron that I make my
Pizzelle was passed on to me when Aunt Helen grew older and
could no longer heft it on and off the burner on the stove,
which comprises the operations required to make the cookies one
at a time since the iron is a fairly heavy item as it has cast
iron plates and steel handles.
I am
therefore also known as the Pizzelleman due to the fact that I
make these delicious Italian Cookies in the time honored
tradition of my Italian ancestors from the Abruzzi (or Abruzzo)
region (located [Click
here] to the north and
west of Rome). There is and interesting
Italian heritage site
from the Washington, DC area you may want to browse if you have
a chance.
My busiest time of the
year is between Thanksgiving and Christmas when I average 3
dozen batches for family and friends. Please remember that
since these cookies are made one at a time, it takes
approximately an hour and a half for each batch when you add up
cooking time and mixing the dough, it gets to be quite a while
in the kitchen.
When I first learned how
to make them, the cooking time was longer (3 hours with hand
mixing and individual cooking!) on a lower heat setting, but I
learned out of necessity how to make them the same as Aunt
Helen, but with a combination of higher heat and shorter cooking
times for each cookie.
The first year I made
them, four batches took over 12 hours and I was up all night
baking to get them out in the overnight mail the next morning.
Then, as it is now, is a really good feeling to get them made
and sent out or delivered as a way to give a little of yourself
with every crisp, delicious cookie.
Thanks for stopping by and
letting me share a little about my Pizzelle and my family.
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