As soon as the Halloween decorations are down, I'm already plotting and planning my holiday baking. I love poring over old family recipes and cookbooks, trying to choose that year's treats for our holiday gatherings.
This post is sponsored by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. I received a Holiday Flavor Bundle to aid in the creation of my recipe. All opinions are my own.
My mom made pizzelle every holiday season to give to family and friends. She liked the vanilla version, and sometimes she'd dip them in chocolate. A few years back I got my own iron, and decided to roll some of the pizzelle up like cannoli and pipe in a cream filling. We jokingly called them "fauxnolis," and the name has stuck ever since.
When my Nielsen-Massey Holiday Flavors Bundle arrived, I immediately thought of those fauxnolis, but I wanted to change them up a bit. I used the Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract in the chocolate pizzelle and the Pure Peppermint Extract in the cannoli filling.
I used semisweet chocolate because that's what the majority of my family loves. They'd be great with dark chocolate too. My mom's original recipe called for margarine, this time around I used vegetable oil. I lightly spray my iron between pizzelle with non stick spray if needed.
You have to move fairly quickly to get the pizzelle wrapped around whatever form you use, but you also have to make sure they're comfortable enough to handle. Slide one off the iron with a small spatula, wrap it around the dowel, and then place it seam side down on a baking rack to cool completely.
If you don't want to bother with forming them, they are still amazing made the traditional way. Just pipe the filling between them, and roll them through the chips and crushed candies.
For the filling, be sure to use whole milk brand name ricotta. Although my family recipe says it doesn't have to be drained, I do it as an insurance policy. You can use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth set over a bowl, and place it in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Filled fauxnoli or pizzelle will become soggy more rapidly than cannoli shells, so serve immediately. If you want to prepare everything in advance, store the shells in an airtight container, and the ricotta filling in a pastry or zip top bag in the fridge.
Chocolate Peppermint Pizzelle Fauxnoli
Ingredients
- For the pizzelle:
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- For the filling:
- 32oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3/4c sugar 2t Nielsen-Massey Pure Peppermint Extract
- Mini chocolate chips
- Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips or Crushed Peppermint hard candies
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Beat the eggs well. Add the oil and vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking powder and sugar. Blend into the egg mixture until thoroughly incorporated.
- Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring periodically so that it doesn't burn. Blend the melted chocolate slowly into the pizzelle batter.
- Preheat pizzelle maker and spray with cooking spray.
- Bake according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the batter becomes too stiff, add a teaspoon of water and stir well.
- To shape the fauxnoli, remove one pizzelle from iron, and while it's still warm, wrap it around a wooden spoon handle, dowel or cannoli shell form. Slide off seam side down onto a rack and allow it to cool completely.
- For the filling, combine drained ricotta, sugar and peppermint extract in a medium bowl. Chill for 2 hours. Spoon into a piping bag with a star tip, or use a ziptop bag with the corner snipped off.
- Fill from the middle of the shell to the outside, turn and repeat from the other side. Sprinkle the ends with mini chocolate chips, peppermint crunch baking chips or crushed hard candies
Disclaimer: Thank you to Nielsen-Massey Vanillas for providing the Holiday Flavor Bundle prize free of charge. They also provided a Holiday Flavor Bundle for use in creation of my recipe for this post. All opinions are my own.
Now I want a pizzelle iron! I love baking mini loaves of bread to giveaway.
ReplyDeleteMini loaves make great gifts!
DeleteThese are so much fun! I don't have a pizzelle iron, but grandma has a krumkake one and I'll bet I could make them with that!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely would work!
DeleteI have always been attracted by the beauty of pizzelle, but have never tried making them myself. Your fauxnollis have me convinced to give them a go! The ricotta filling sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOnce you get into a rhythm, it's super easy!
DeleteThese are so festive and turned out really nicely!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Making them really helped put me in the holiday spirit!
DeleteI love pizzelles! I was taught to make them by the lady across the street when I was about 10 years old. She gave me memories to last a lifetime, and the best cookies too! I love that you made them into fauxnoli!! So clever and very yummy looking!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I really didn't get into cooking until I was in my 30s, I sure wish I'd paid more attention to my family recipes when I was younger. :)
DeleteGreat looking Pizzelles Jolene. I've copied your recipe to make .Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSusan Lynn
Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
DeletePeanut butter magic bars, my family loves them and they're super-easy.
ReplyDeleteSome of my family's very favorites are the simple recipes!
DeleteI like making pizelles!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty fun once you get into a rhythm!
DeleteThose look amazing!!!!
ReplyDelete