My Italian Pizzelle recipe is a simple and festive way to make these classic cookies known world-round.
Preheat a pizzelle iron.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, eggs, anise seed, vanilla extract, and anise extract.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
Brush a very small amount of oil onto the pizzelle iron and with a paper towel, wipe away any excess.
Place about 1 ½ tablespoon of batter into the center of each pizzelle plate and close the top.
Cook until the pizzelle are a pale golden (you can open the iron and check the progress every minute or two).
Lift the pizzelles with a fork and quickly transfer them to a wire rack to cool. They will crisp up as they cool.
Repeat with the remaining batter. You won’t need to use any more oil unless the pizzelles start to stick.
Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If they soften, re-crisp them on a cookie sheet in a 350°F (180°C) oven for just a few minutes.