Month of Gratitude - Day 04

Prompt: What food are you most grateful for?

Honestly, any I don't have to prepare myself! I'm a fine cook, but it's not a favorite activity for me.

I do, however, enjoy baking. These pizzelle cookies are a family favorite. They remind me so much of my Codispoti background, of growing up in a pizza restaurant, of my grandmother, of my dad's cousin Mary Ellen, of Christmas.

I was given the heavy old pizzelle iron when my mom no longer used it. I now have an electric pizzelle iron that is much easier to use, but I still use the old family recipe. One of my daughters now has the family heirloom.

Our recipe?

1 cup butter
1-1/3 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. anise seed
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt 

1. Melt butter. Let cool.
   
   
2. Beat the eggs until foamy. Add sugar to the eggs. Beat until creamy.
   
   
3. Add the cooled, melted butter.
   
   
4. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
   
   
5. Add dry ingredients to the egg/sugar/butter mixture along with anise seed, vanilla and salt.
   
   
6. Measure dough into rounded teaspoons. Bake in a pizzelle iron approx. 35 - 45 seconds or until very lightly browned.