How-to-Make Cioccolato Pizzelles #GardenCuizine #recipe

Diana's Cioccolato Pizzelles

Cocoa Pizzelles with garden anise seeds were among our favorite Christmas treats this holiday season. Our private Italian sweets connoisseur (Mama, who else!) rated them two thumbs up! Adding unsweetened cocoa provides chocolatey flavor, plus healthy antioxidants.

Recipe Yields: 50
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (Tbl sp) (28g) unsalted butter
2 Tbl sp (26g) vegetable shortening (trans fat free)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbl sp Canola oil
1 tsp (2g) anise seeds

2 cups (250g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbl sp (15g) baking powder
1/8 tsp (dash) salt

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract 
3/4 tsp anise oil (oil vs. extract - look for at your Italian Market)

Putting it all together

• Locate your pizzelle iron and plug it in to get it preheated and ready.
• Melt the butter and shortening with the oil; add the seeds so their anise flavor infuses into the oil. Remove from heat as soon as melted - set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, sift and whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt to combine.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs well. Beat in the sugar. Slowly pour in the melted oil blend.
• Mix in the dry ingredients until the batter is shiny and thick.
• Cover the batter bowl with a damp towel until ready to use.

• Spray your pizzelle iron with nonstick spray before making your first pizzelle.
• Using a tablespoon, measure 1 tablespoon dollops of batter in the center of each pizzelle; close the iron and let cook for about one minute. You will have to experiment with how long it takes your pizzelle iron to perfectly bake your pizzelles. It is a little more difficult to tell when chocolate pizzelles are done because of their color. Once you get a rhythm going though, they bake-off pretty fast. Have fun!
• Remove the hot pizzelles using a fork as needed to carefully pull them off the iron.
• Allow the pizzelles to completely cool on wire baking racks before stacking them! Otherwise, they will get soft and not be crisp. If you accidentally stack them while still warm and they do get soft, you can rescue them by single layering the pizzelles on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 deg F. oven until reheated. Remove from oven and be sure to let them completely cool before stacking.
• Once your pizzelles are all made and completely cooled - store in airtight containers - share and enjoy!

Buon Natale!

GardenCuizine Nutrient Analysis Cocoa Pizzelles: calculated from USDA nutrient values 1/50 of recipe (20g): one pizzelle: ~72 calories; total fat: 3g; monounsaturated fat: 1.2g; polyunsaturated fat 0.5g; saturated fat: 0.7g; sodium 39 mg; total carbohydrate: 10g; Iron: 0.7mg (4%DV); Protein: 1.4g (3%DV); Folate: 12 mcg (~3%DV); Selenium: 3.6mcg (5%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older
Recipe, photos and blog post Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All rights reserved.