What started out as a post on making pizzelles turned into a really meaningful post for me and hopefully you too!
You see, my family even though far from being wealthy, one of my dad’s favorite quotes was, “by gosh, we sure eat like those millionaires”! And he was exactly right because delicious, high quality food was our normal…no hamberger helper in our family meals!
This photo is of my late mom and dad years ago at our beach house in N.C… where 95% of the time, yes, you guessed it, we cooked. (yes they’re eating!)
I have written in my book and in posts that my mom worked full time along with my dad, but meals always happened at our house. So today, I marvel at all the talk out there is no time to cook…..hmmm….how did they do it all? I realize of course that this was a top priority to them and our top priorites get done. Needless to say, I was incredibly blessed to have my parents role model to me the importance of cooking and cooking with the best quality of food because what we eat truly does matter for our health and wellbeing.(sorry…I couldn’t help myself there…:)
Family is our top priority. Here is my mom and dad with the love of their lives, their great grandchildren.
When she and my dad came to the N.C. beach, they brought dozens of homemade cookies, kolaches, good Ohio trail bologna, homemade cheese dips and more. This describes us….. FUN …FOOD…FAMILY TIMES.
Back to making pizzelles with my mom’s family secret, but what are pizzelles?
Pizzelles are an Italian thin waffle like cookie traditionally made at Christmas time. I absolutely love them! They keep well and are perfect with hot tea or a cup of coffee.
But first, when I was sorting my collection of cookbooks for our downsizing move, only the ones I use or the cookbooks with special meaning made the cut. The recipe my mom used for Pizzelles is from this cookbook and at the end of this post is the recipe we use.
Whenever I make these Pizzelles, it is a special memory for me associating these our traditional holiday foods to my mom, who to my recollection, until her nineties, still made our favorites.
This is a gift from my mom, 1976 Youngstown Ohio
Palmer Pizzelle Maker, Model 1000 from Fante’s Kitchen Shop
This is a very easy recipe to assemble!
My mom’s secret ingredient is to use real anise oil not the weakened anise extract from the grocery stores. These are found, believing it or not, by the pharmacy dept in drugstores. I bought mine at Rite Aide.
Assemble ingredients before heating the grill!
Have cooling racks ready, baking goes quickly!
This wonderful treat is so easy to make and keeps a long time. They also make fun gifts!
I would love to know if you try these or if you already are a fan of pizzelles.
Pizzelle Recipe for Electric Iron
1 dozen eggs
2 cups butter
7-8 cups of flour
2 tsp anise oil
3 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
Beat eggs well, add sugar and beat well. Add melted cooled butter. Add flavorings, then flour; mix well. Take a tsp to tablespoon of dough and put in middle of heated grille. Close handle for about 45 seconds adjusting more or less according to each griddle iron. Preheat grille for 18 minutes before baking but follow grille’s instructions. This recipe makes approximately three dozen depending on the thickness of the batter.
Note: Optional: substitute anise oil for maple, orange, cinnamon, etc.
Print the recipe here!
So now you can understand why just giving you this recipe without the real essence of how many of our traditional foods link us back to those treasured family times regardless of how long ago it was.
And, if you do not have these traditional food memories, remember the Design SMARTS philosophy which is “it is NEVER EVER TOO LATE” to start your own traditions even with new friends, old friends, or the family you are blessed to have.
Living and Loving life together,
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Love this you precious lady!
Always keep the memories alive, and keep love’n.
??Connie Walden
And I love you commenting Connie!! Can’t wait to see you soon!
One of my best friends makes pizzelles every year at Christmas, and I am usually gifted with a batch…they are quite addictive! I love that good food and cooking was such a part of the culture of your family – mine too and it seems it is quite a rarity for my generation. I’m delighted it has passed on to my children as well. All the focus on wellness and constantly improving appliances is driving a resurgence in cooking and good food made at home, in general I think, which is great news!
Yes Janet they are additive! We just made another batch because exactly as you said, we gifted family and friends and had few left. I love them with a cup of tea or coffee mid afternoon as a special treat with special memories.
You also relate to how special our family food memories are but sadly, I also hear hear you on many just not cooking today period whether family favoites or not. I heard many of our new friends in Ohio say they had them growing up but had never made them theirselves.
I have been in the wellness arena for over ten years so yes, hopefully there will be a new surgenance of cooking at home. I am all for it!
So pretty and they look delicious. I had never heard of these. Thanks for sharing!
You are so very welcome Mary Ann and thank you for commenting!
Food memories are so powerful – and I love how you connected this treasured recipe from your Mom back to your early childhood memory of always being able to eat well -despite not being wealthy.
What a blessing that was for you & I know you’ve passed that on to your children now, too, by example.
thank you Leslie for getting my connecting with my mom all those “many” years ago. She always said like others have also said that they show their love by cooking for others.
I have to add Leslie that we all have our gifting and those like yourself that have a servants heart, show their love by giving away to others their own special gifting with no strings attached. what a beautiful circle this is and actually we as givers most often receive the biggest gift of all.
Great story and these look so delicious. Funny but I learned something new today. I always thought pizzells were Italian! Thank you for setting me straight.
Actually Linda, you are correct in pizzelles being Italian. It is interesting how eastern European cooks claim every dish as their own! Ha!
I am glad you liked my story…
I often wonder how my mom did it all (as she too worked full time). As I look back when my kids were small, I also seemed to ‘do it all’. What I’ve come to realize is that we did it because it had to be done. The thought of me being ‘too busy’ just never crossed my mind. Our families had to eat and eating out or ordering out was not an option. Healthy, home cooked meals, ate at the kitchen table as a family, is something that I truly cherish and have passed on to my own kids. Priceless!
Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
You said it so perfectly Sheri! You and I did it too but perhaps it was because our mothers did it all before us. i believe that we are fortuntae to have had mothers that insisted we sit down for a meal and I can just hear others say, but what about sports and activities and ect? Well you and I had to work around that as well and often meals were at off times or on the go but the goal was always to have some sort of meal planned.
Good for you that you children also are following in yhour very wise role model!