our (approximately) 90 year old pizzelle maker.
it belonged to my great-grandmother, who claimed she'd had it since she was a teenager, which means it would have been purchased sometime pre-1930 (i questioned the likelihood of an electric cookie press being necessary then and got only puzzled looks back, because yes, they had electricity in the 20s)
anyway - it weighs a ton, it's most likely never been cleaned, and the we're pretty sure the wiring is original and shocks you every time you unplug it.
we only make one kind of cookie with it - they're requested every year by the rest of the family - and recipe makes more than 150 cookies, each of which is individually pressed. it's hot, it takes forever, it hurts your hand, and the whole house reeks of anise by the time you're done.
but they're kind of cookies that people either love or hate. and you better know a few people that love them before making 150 of them.
the recipe we use is below -- but anyone who has ever made this will agree that if you use a modern pizzelle maker, the cookies just don't turn out the same. my aunts and their friends say it's because of the pattern on the newer presses, that it doesn't make the cookies as crispy - i think it's because the newer presses don't involve nearly as much work as the old one does.
pizzelles (16 dozen)
1 dozen eggs
3 1/2 c. sugar
3 tsp. anise oil (not anise flavor, not anise essence - it has to be real anise oil!)
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. salt
3 lbs (11-12 c.) flour
1 lb olio (margarine)... but we found out today that you can substitute butter
beat eggs, add sugar and beat well. (you'll need a very large bowl for this recipe)
add olio, which has been melted and cooled. add flavoring. then add flour and salt and mix well.
(even though we have a pretty heavy duty mixer - my mom refuses to use it, and says 'grandmom didn't use one, so neither will i' - this dough gets pretty thing and pastey - it's best to mix as well as you can with a spoon and then finish with your hands.
make dough balls about 1" in diameter.
put dough ball in the middle of the grid.
squeeze both handles together for about 14 seconds (this length depends entirely on the number of cookies you've already made, when you let it reaheat, it only needs about 3 seconds)
pizzelles should be done (if you don't squeeze it hard enough or leave it in long enough, they can be puffy and don't taste right)
so now my hands hurt, but at least i have enough cookies to last me for the rest of the year...
