This Lemon Pizzelle Recipe is a twist on the classic pizzelle recipe that everyone loves. They are thin, crispy, and perfectly delicious. Let me show you just how simple these cookies are to make.
Why Make These Lemon Pizzelles?
For one, they are really beautiful cookies. They are a dessert that is sure to impress.
They are a cookie that originated in central Italy, but these days are enjoyed all around the world!
The flavor and texture are so delicious. I love these crispy cookies and love anything with lemon, especially during the holidays.
They are a light cookie. So many cookies are really heavy and it feels like you have overindulged after eating them, not these! They are perfect for snacking.
These Lemon pizzelle are really quick to make. The batter can be made in under 10 minutes, and then cooking them goes really fast as well. Plus, no heating up the oven, it all happens in the Pizzelle maker.
I use whole wheat flour in these cookies. If you have been following me for a while, you know I try to add it into each bake I make. I love the flavor, texture, and health benefits it adds.
Ingredients
- Large Eggs- Room temperature
- Granulated Sugar- you can also use brown sugar, but I like to use granulated.
- Butter- what would a good cookie be without it! You can use vegetable oil, but the flavor will not be the same!
- Lemon Zest- this is where you will get the most lemon flavor in these cookies. I used regular lemons, but Meyer lemons are really good too! I have seen recipes that use ½ teaspoon lemon oil, you can do this if you want, but I think the zest is enough. It would be the same thing for pure lemon extract if you want to use it, add in ½ teaspoon.I prefer just the zest as it keep the flavor mild and just a hint of lemon. I feel like the oil and extracts make the flavoring a little too much.
- Whole Wheat Pastry Flour- if you have been following me for any amount of time, you know I like to use whole grains in all my dishes as a way to make them healthier. I like whole wheat pastry flour for cookies as it is a lower protein flour and keeps the cookies tender.
- All-Purpose Flour- I like to use a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose.
- Vanilla- Just a touch.
- Baking Powder- This will give the cookies their rise.
- Salt- just a touch
- Powdered Sugar- if you like to dust them with it after.
How To Make Lemon Pizzelle Cookies
Blend your flours, salt, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
The butter in this recipe is melted, so melt butter in a separate bowl before you get started as well.
In another bowl, add your eggs, and with a whisk, hand mixer, or stand mixer. Beat eggs on medium speed for about 2 minutes until they are light and fluffy.
Add in the sugar and mix another 30 seconds on medium speed.
Next in is the melted butter, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
Last is the dry ingredients. Mix these at low speed so you don't throw the ingredients everywhere.
Now, I like to let my batter sit for 30-45 minutes at room temperature to let all the ingredients hydrate. So, cover in plastic wrap and set aside.
Heat your electric pizzelle maker, then drop batter into the hot iron. I like to use this medium portion scoop. It is about the perfect size for mine. This will depend on the size of your pizzelle maker of course. So you may need to adjust depending on the size.
Depending on your iron, this should take between 20 seconds to 1 minute. You want them to be golden brown.
Remove with a fork and let the hot cookies cool on a flat surface.
Finish cooking the rest of the batch of pizzelles. Once they are cooled, you can stack them. They will cool quickly.
Pizzelle Iron
The pizzelle iron is a special iron. I ordered mine from Amazon, and it was pretty inexpensive. I paid about $25 for it about 3 years ago.
It is an electric pizzelle iron. The original irons were made of cast iron and were heated over the fire or cooktop. We are going with the modern version here.
It still works great and seems like it will have a long life.
I think it is a great iron to have on hand. I don't make pizzelle year-round, but they are so fun to have for the holidays.
How To Serve
Most people will sprinkle their pizzelle with powdered sugar after they have cooled slightly. I think this is such a pretty way to serve them.
When the cookies are still hot, you can also carefully shape them to form bowls, cones, or even cannoli shapes. Just remember, the shells are hot, so work quickly.
These Italian waffle cookies also make a really pretty addition to your bowl of ice cream.
You can also top these with vanilla pastry cream.
While these are usually considered a holiday cookie, I also really like to make them in the summer seasons, shape them into bowls and fill them with fresh fruit.
Flavor variations
Classic pizzelles are made with anise extract or anise oil. I left it out for this variation.
You can also use almond extract, while is a great flavor for pizzelles.
This recipe is also really good if you change the lemon zest out for orange zest. Both are a bright cheery flavor to be enjoyed during the winter months. The same would be true for any citrus. There are other options that would make various flavors of pizzelle.
FAQ
I am not really sure about this, as I have never tried it, but I would guess no. The pizzelle iron is really shallow, where waffle irons are pretty deep. That would make a really thick cookie.
This recipe is designed to go both ways. I always like to add in a little whole wheat flour, but if you like, you can use white flour instead. Simply sub the white flour for the wheat.
I would consider this a variation of the classic.
These cookies will stay good for weeks! I like to wrap them in a ziplock bag or an airtight container for storage.
Lemon Pizzelle Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ⅓ cup flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat your pizzelle iron. Mine took almost 10 minutes, so get this started while you are making the batter.
- Mix flours, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Zest your lemons.
- Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla, and continue to beat. Next is the melted butter. Last up is the flour mixture. flour this in carefully to not over mix.
- Let the batter sit for an hour to hydrate the ingredients.
- If the iron is heated, drop by the tablespoon onto the griddle. Close and let cook. Check it occasionally to see if it is cooked to the desired color.
- It will take about 20 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your iron.
- You can eat these just like they are, or dusted with flour. They are also good with lemon curd, berries, ice cream, whip cream, etc.
Notes
- It only takes a small amount of batter per pizzelle. I find that a small cookie scoop holds the perfect amount and ensures all the cookies are the same size.
- This is the pizzelle maker I use and has worked well.
- As I mentioned earlier, this dish works with many different fruits: berries, kiwi, plums, peaches, bananas, grapes, and more. Just imagine your favorite fruit salad in cups this delicate and crispy! You can also leave out the orange zest and use almond extract instead of vanilla if it complements your fruit better.
- I wanted a shallower cup, so I used a wider glass for draping the pizzelle. Using a narrower glass will create a deeper cup. No need to worry about making sure the pizzelles are perfectly straight on the cups. Just make sure they’re still hot when you start draping them.
- Want to make these fruit cups a little more decadent and rich? You can add the lemon curd, vanilla custard, or something like this Creamy Lemon Marscapone Fruit Dip in the bottom before filling with fruit. You can also top the fruit with whipped cream, ice cream, or even a drizzle of melted chocolate.