If you live in the US, you are probably quite familiar with pizzelle. However as an Australian of Italian heritage, I had never heard of these cookies. When I starting blogging almost 8 years ago (yep, that’s a long time ago!), pizzelle appeared everywhere and I wanted them too! These little pizzelle came in lots of different flavours and seemed to be such a light crunchy cookie I knew they would be popular, I just had to get my hands on a pizzella iron. And after much searching and googling, I found an importer in Melbourne who could help me out. I telephone call to Costante Imports and my very own electric pizzella iron was being shipped to my door.

A single use electric kitchen appliance can make the endangered list in most kitchens but this is one that I would never be without. This pizzella iron is now about 6 years old and has churned out many pizzelle. Within minutes the batter is quickly mixed and cooking them in the iron is the easiest task. If you can get your hands on one of these appliances, you won’t regret it. I’ll be getting myself another one next time I’m down in Melbourne.

There is a beautiful tradition in Italy of family pizzelle irons having their own special designs. Maybe made especially for a bride and groom as a wedding gift and handed down from generation to generation. You can read about it here at Sweet Tooth Design.

While these are a tradition of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise apparently they are not common in other parts of Italy. That probably explains why these never appeared in my childhood with my Calabrese mum and my dad from Emilia Romagna but I could be wrong. Let me know if your family has a pizzelle tradition? Or if you know this cookie by another name? Would you buy a single use kitchen appliance?