Fourth Day of Pumpkin Holiday Cookies, Pumpkin Pizzelles

It is believed that pizzelles originated in Italy in ancient times to mark an annual celebration. Initially baked over an open fire with relatively simple but effective irons, the early pizzelles were proudly embossed with the family crest or some hint of the village of origin. Over time it became tradition to use pizzelles to celebrate any holiday or festive occasion. The modern patterns found on these delicious waffle cookies most commonly are floral on one side and a woven basket-like pattern on the other.

 

I love the idea of pumpkin pizzelles and planned on using my krumkake iron, which makes a Scandinavian cookie very similar to a pizzelle. However, my 35-year-old iron needs a coil electric stove and I no longer own one. I needed a pizzelle maker. The Hub and I checked Target, Kohls and Walmart - no pizzelle maker. An online search of Sur la Table and Williams-Sonoma showed them as online sales only. Andrew went to Macy's, Penney's and finally found one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Go figure.

The Cuisinart machine made making them a snap. The Hub set up an assembly line and the next time I turned around he had made dozens.

They taste great and will look festive on my holiday cookie trays. The only problem is finding a place for yet another kitchen gadget.