CLASSIC PIZZELLES

(also known as Tie Plates) YUM!!! :)) makes 60 pizelles
Pizzelle's are known as Italian wafer cookies and the name comes from the Italian word "pizze" for round and flat.

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp. vanilla or anise ext.
3 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar using a small hand mixer or wooden spoon. Beat in the cooled butter, vanilla and anise, to egg and sugar mixture.
Sift the flour and baking powder together and stir into the egg mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. The batter will be sticky. Drop by spoonful in Pizzelle Baker.
Close grids. Bake for 30 seconds. Remove with a fork. Sprinkle with icing sugar.
Clean cooled grid with water.

*CHOCOLATE & NUTS PIZZELLES*
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup favorite nuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Using the Classic Pizzelle dough... blend ingredients with flour into egg mixture.

****Tips:
-Let your iron heat up at least 5 to 8 minutes.
-An ice cream scoop makes it really easy to drop batter quickly; if you don’t have scoop two spoons will work too.
-A light coating of non-stick spray or vegetable oil on the iron at the beginning helps to prevent sticking. Add spray or oil before the iron is on just to be safe.
-The first time I used my baker, the first few rounds stuck. Don’t get discouraged, this goes away with use!
-Try to drop your batter a little behind center in the waffle baker; the dough has a tendency to shift forward when you close the baker, so by dropping it behind center, it helps to equalize the shift and evenly distribute batter.
-My pizzelles seem to be baked perfectly around 30 to 40 seconds in the iron; I like mine lightly browned.
-Remove cooled pizzelles with a fork to a cooling rack until no longer warm.
-If you want to shape your pizzelles, do so immediately after you pull them from the iron, as this will be your only chance. You can shape them in a cone shape, roll them around a round shape (tube) to fill later or place them in muffin tins and shape to mold.
-Store pizzelles in an air-tight container – I think they are best when eaten within 2 days.

*FILLING*

Vanilla Filling:
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg white
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Cream shortening, margarine/butter, sugar and beat well for several minutes. Add egg white and
vanilla, and then beat well. Add milk slowly, beating as you go until the filling is creamy. Pipe filling into the pizzelles, and dip each end of the finished cookie in colored sprinkles, mini chocolate chips for a festive touch. This filling recipe fills about 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the rolled pizzelle.

Chocolate Filling:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate (I used milk chocolate)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. mint extract

Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave on medium power until soft and melted, about 3 minutes depending on the power of your oven; stir until smooth.
Alternatively, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan (without touching the water). Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Stir in mint extract.
To serve pipe a tablespoon of the mint filling into the center of half the cookies. Top with another cookie and press to sandwich them together. Serve now or keep tightly covered for up to 1 week.

OTHER IDEAS TO DO WITH PIZZELLES:
-Roll warm pizzelles into a tube. Let cool. Fill pizzelles with chocolate or vanilla pudding.
-Place hot pizzelles in muffin tins and shape to mold; let cool. Remove pizzelles -- fill with ice cream and whipped cream.
-Drizzle melted milk chocolate over cookies.
-I kicked it up a notch by making pizzelle ice cream sandwiches
-I rolled an uncooked ball of Pizzelle dough in a bowl of circular rainbow sprinkles before putting it in the Pizzelle iron to cook.
-Dip and coat the pizzelle cookie with the finest milk chocolate for a fabulous treat.
-bake cookies on pizzelle iron, carefully curled into a roll, fill with chocolate filling and then dip both ends with melted milk chocolate.