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X X List of Italian Feast Day Dishes
Pizzelle
Originated from: Casacalenda, Molise, Italy
Occasion: Very special events
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Ingredients

For pizzelle recipe see Italy Revisited/Recipes/"Cookies without Nuts"



Directions




Notes

Prior to World War II most Italian households offered biscotti to visitors who came by on Easter Day, but in the 1950s the variety of cookies offered to those who came to pay a visit increased. As soon as Italians came to North America the cookies presented to visitors included: biscotti, amaretti, taralli and of course, pizzelle. Almond biscotti and other famous Italian cookies are readily available in Italian pastry shops and generally they are of better quality than most people can make at home. Of course, they cost a fortune but that's another matter. In any case few pastry shops make their own pizzelle, why I can't say. Sure, one can buy pizzelle in any Italian pastry shop but they are factory-produced -- they come in a box. They're generally much thicker than the ones that are home-made and they're often heavily laced with vanilla (artificial vanilla no doubt!). That said, making pizzelle at home is rather labor-intensive and one needs a pizzelle maker. Personally, if I didn't have a mother who made pizzelle for me (Thank God she does!) I would simply avoid the store-bought ones, and opt for biscotti. Or a cream-filled pastry. There are so many choices, one does not have to settle for mediocrity -- well, at least, not in an Italian pastry shop.

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