An Abruzzese light and tasty must-try dish that rivals the region’s beloved arrosticini for fame are Pizzelle, Cancellate, Neole or Ferratelle, depending on which of the provinces you are in. Many areas claim they were the first to create these waffle-like pastries, Ortona and Salle for example as well as towns in Molise and Lazio.
In Abruzzo, it is traditionally Nonna (Grandma) who makes the pizzelle, the soft, hard or chewy texture is dependent on the family’s preference. Traditionally served with jam, today nutella, there are salty versions too, being shaped into a taco and stuffed with ricotta or cream cheese and ham.
Try heart-shaped pizzelle on St Valentine’s Day, obviously, a kind Grandmother makes pizzelle especially for Christmas, Easter, all of her grandchildren’s birthdays, over the summer for breakfast, an afternoon snack, picnics, and holidays on the beach.
Maria's Pizzelle Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 Eggs
- 500 g Caster Sugar
- 600 g 00 Flour
- 150 g Olive Oil
- 20 g Baking Powder
Instructions
- To make the batter beat the eggs and sugar in a ceramic bowl (in Abruzzese dialect, you call it vazzìa). Slowly beat in the Olive Oil. No electric mixer is required: you just need the big fork that is usually used for pasta (a forchettone).
- Maria always adds either lemon zest or anise to her pizzelle batter at this stage to make them even tastier (use only one of these at a time), adjust to suit your personal taste.
- Slowly sieve (setaccio) the combined flour and baking powder into your egg mixture and beat well to get plenty of air into the mix. Grandmother’s make this seem very easy but expect your wrists to begin aching after 5 minutes or so!
- Heat your pizzelle maker, grease it with a little olive oil and add a generous spoon of your batter. Remove the excess batter with a fork (and remember like Nonna to always clean the stove when you finish!).
- Lay the cooked pizzelle on the table as they will dry faster.
- If you want to fill a pizzella do this whilst it is hot and then roll it up. If you do it cold they will break! Fill with grape jam like the Abruzzese sugarless Scrucchijata or with chocolate nut cream (the one everybody knows).
Notes
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Nuisia Raridi is a recent graduate in Italian philology, linguistics and literary traditions and creator of Nu Post. Writing is her primary passion and purpose in life, but tradition is surely the second. Since she was a child she has had the image of her grandmother making, preparing and often talking about recipes or telling stories about the past, the people and the traditions of her region and country. She has decided to hand these down through her new Facebook initiative and share with as many people as possible the beauty she saw, listened to and lived.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a freelance SEO content creator and IGCSE Geography and English teacher at Istituto Cristo Re in Rome. She also runs the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, sharing stories and insights about this captivating region.
Alongside raising a teenager, Sam hosts guests at her family’s traditional home, the Little House of the Firefly in Abruzzo, offering a warm welcome and insider tips on local culture, food, and hidden gems.
Riempite con gelato sono buonissimi
Grazie! I used to make them on a stove with my grandmother- saying Hail Marys on each side! Thanks for the recipe! I think my grandmother used butter- i will try them with olive oil!
Ooh the challenge of penance, at least if said before there would be no guilt when eating them! Let us know if the butter changes the texture too…
My mother made her Pizzelle with Shortening and Margarine, perhaps because it was less expensive. I will try with the olive oil though, not a fan of shortening and margarine. I have wondered where my mother got her iron. My fathers’ family immigrated from Potenza in 1905 & 1908. Are you familiar with irons from Potenza? Do you think my grandparents could have brought it with them? My Grandmothers” parents also came to America, but not my Grandfathers. I am writing a story and need to try to pin down where the iron could have come from.
Let us know how you get on with the oil version! I am sure the shortening and margarine version were used because it was cheaper and more readily available too.