Pizzelles #2? Or are these really #1!

Not sure if this is being posted before or after the other Pizzelle recipe. But let me tell you how my Grandma made them.

I was fortunate enough to inherit Grandma Katherine's Pizzelle iron (along with one of her many, many stovetop coffeepots). Apparently the iron was purchased in 1982 at Berarducci Bros in McKeesport. The instruction book cover tells you how to pronounce pizzelle: "Pitts-L-A".

The reason this recipe and the iron are important to me is something my first cousins and siblings will all well understand: Grandma had a cookie drawer in her kitchen. It was at eye level (when we were 5 years old) so even as a little kid you could get into that thing. I remember four cookies she always had stocked: pizzelle (in a Chock'Full'O'Nuts coffee tin), nut rolls (also in a tin), and fig newtons and Oreos (she kept these in those old tall/oblong Tupperware pitchers if you can envision that - just the right size for a package of Oreos).

You eventually learned how to ask "May I please go use the cellar potty" just so you could walk through the kitchen and snag a few cookies. I swear my parents must have thought I had a bladder problem.

On top of the memories, these pizzelles are just really good. And the aroma when you're cooking them - RIDICULOUS. Now, there are a lot of variations on the recipe, but I prefer the "Thick" recipe the best - this is what she made, and what I and the cousins remember best.

(This sheet has 10 recipes.........) (... but this is the one I use)

Thick Pizzelles

6 eggs (beat)

1 1/2 cups sugar, add gradually to the eggs

Add in: 1 cup melted shortening/Oleo/Crisco

Add in: 1/2 tsp anise oil and 2 Tbsp anise seeds

Mix dry ingredients: 4 cups flour, 2 tsp B.P. (baking powder), 1/4 tsp salt

Slowly add dry ingredients to egg mixture

Chill this, covered in the fridge, "at least 2 hours or overnight or several days".

Make sure iron is very hot before using. Spoon out 1 heaping tablespoon of batter for each cookie in the iron (assuming you have a large one), slowly close the iron and hold closed for about 1 minute. You'll probably want to throw out the first couple pizzelles - they may burn a little.

Every iron/batter batch is a little different, so the amount you spoon/the time it cooks will vary.

Equipment: You need a good pizzelle iron. I think one reason mine turn out well is because the iron is OLD, HEAVY, and HOT. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Variation: Swap out the anise seeds with orange zest and the anise oil/anisette with orange oil.

Variation: "Easter appropriate" - a friend said she makes a different version, I need to get that and post it. Different flavoring I assume.

Note to Chef: The key ingredient as lots of anise seeds. And maybe a dash of annisette for the cooks!

Variation: "Thin" recipe (Same order of addition as before):

12 eggs

3 cups sugar

2 cups melted shortening

3/4 cup anisette liqueur

4 Tbsp anise seed

4 cups flour, 4 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt (I am thinking that this was a typographical error and should be 4 teaspoons baking powder)