Ferratelle / Cancelle / Pizzelle

Sometimes I think about how information can take strange ways of travelling.
Like for example these simple but beautiful cookies traditional for Italian regions Abruzzo and Molise.
You would think I learned about them living in Italy, but no. I first heard of them from American blogs and food sites. But had never seen them or heard of them here in Italy.
Then I came across a recipe in a cookbook I bought, and even though they had a different name (cancelle instead of pizzelle) I knew they were the same thing. And also, sadly realised I'd probably never be able to make them, as I had never seen the iron/alluminium press around.

And then, a few weeks ago, we were at the seaside in Molise for the first time.
And one windy, cloudy morning decided not to go the beach but take a walk around the town.
And came across an open market. My eyes soon got attracted by a sight of something that was vaguely familiar. The guy selling them confirmed it was a ferrattelle/cancelle/pizzelle press. And in that moment I knew I didn't need any other souvenir to take home.
It had to be mine. It was like one of those "now or never" moments. My husband and my mother in law were kind of "what on earth is that thing". As I said, it's not so well known around Italy, outside the regions where they are originally from, that is to say.
My daughters pushed me to prepare them as soon as we got home.
The tradition says that you have to pray while baking them, Ave Maria while they are being baked on one side, and Lord's Prayer while they are being baked on the other side.
Apart from giving a perfect timing (and my daughter liked the idea so much that she prayed from the beginning to the end with each ferratella being made) I think it's also a way to keep you from eating them all, 'cause they are that contagious. You want to try each one of them to see if it's as crunchy as the previous one.
Yes, this recipe that I found on Cappucino and Cornetto blog, is for crunchy ferratelle/cancelle. And there's also a soft version, probably more similar to waffles, only slightly thinner, I think.
Still have to try that one, because we liked these so much that I'm hesitating a bit to move to another recipe.
The only thing I changed (apart from making half of the original recipe) is substitute anise liqueur with limoncello, we don't really like anise flavor.

Ferratelle / Cancelle / Pizzelle
(adapted from Cappuccino&Cornetto)

* 3 medium sized eggs
* 6 TBspoons sugar
* 6 TBspoons oil (mild extra virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil)
* finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon
* 1 TBspoon limoncello (anis liqueur)
* about 250 g flour

       

Whisk together the eggs, the sugar and the oil.
Add the finely grated lemon zest and limoncello.
Gradually stir in the flour (you may need a little less or more than 250 g, depending on the size of your eggs) to get smooth, very soft but not liquid batter.
Using a brush, lightly oil the feratelle press and place it over a stove burner to heat on medium high heat. Heat the press on both sides.
Open the press and put a small dollop of batter in the center (for my 13-cm press the ideal quantity for approx. 1/2 to 2/3 of a tablespoon. It takes a few trials to determine the right quantity for your press).
Close the press to distribute the batter evenly and cook for about 20 seconds on each side.
Remove the cooked ferratella and procede with the remaining batter. No need to oil the press again.
Once they are all cooked and cooled, you may store them in a plastic bag.
You can serve them simple or sprinkled with powdered sugar, spread some jam on top or make sandwich cookies using some chocolate hazelnut spread.


                                              

If you fold a hot ferratella immediately after removing it from the press over a wooden spoon handle you will get "tacos" that you can fill with ice cream. Delicious, too.
Or if you manage to roll them up, you can fill them with nutella later.

Ferratelle / Cancelle / Pizzelle croccanti
(dal blog Cappucino&Cornetto)

* 3 uova medie
* 6 cucchiai di zucchero semolato
* 6 cucchiai di olio (extra vergine d'oliva o altro)
* scorza grattugiata di 1 limone non trattato
* 1 cucchiaio di limoncello (o liquore al anice)
* circa 250 g di farina

Mescolate le uova con lo zucchero e l'olio usando una frusta a mano.
Unite la scorza grattugiata del limone e limoncello.
Aggiungete la farina setacciata - potrebbe servirvi un pochino di meno, dipende dalla grandezza delle uova.
L'impasto deve risultare molto morbido ma non liquido.
Usando un pennello ungete il ferro (stampo) per ferratelle e scaldatelo sulla fiamma medio alta.
Aprite lo stampo e mettete al centro un po' di impasto (metà fino a due terzi di un cucchiaio sono serviti per il mio stampo da 13 cm).
Chiudete lo stampo premendo leggermente per distribuire l'impasto in maniera uniforme.
Dopo circa 20 secondi girare lo stampo per cuocere la ferratella anche dal altro lato.
Togliere la ferratella dallo stampo e procedere con l'impasto rimanente senza più ungere il ferro.
Una volta freddi, potete gustarle semplici, cosparse con un po' di zucchero a velo, spalmare un po' di marmellata sopra oppure unirle due e due con un po di crema al cioccolato e nocciola (versione preferita dai miei figli).

Se invece piegate le ferattelle calde, appena tolte dallo stampo aiutandovi con un cucchiaio di legno, avrete dei "tacos" pronti per essere riempiti  con il gelato. Dovete farlo quando sono appena fatte e calde, aiutandovi con un strofinaccio o tovagliolo, perché pochi secondi dopo cominciano a indurirsi e a spezzarsi.
In vendita ci sono anche quelle arrotolate come dei cannoli e poi riempite con la nutella.

Prhke Ferratelle / Cancelle / Pizzelle
(recept s bloga Cappuccino&Cornetto)

* 3 cijela jaja
* 6 žlica šećera
* 6 žlica ulja (blagog maslinovog ili drugog)
* naribana korica 1 neprskanog limuna
* 1 žlica limoncella (ili tko voli likera od anisa)
* oko 250 g brašna

Pjenjačom izmiješajte jaja sa šećerom i uljem.
Dodajte naribanu koricu limuna i liker.
Dodajte postepeno brašno, može vam trebati cijelih 250 g ili manje/više, u ovisnosti o veličini jaja i vrsti brašna. Trebate dobiti dosta gusto tijesto.
Kalup lagano kistom namažite uljem (ne previše) i stavite ga zagrijavati na plinski štednjak.
Kad je kalup zagrijan, otvoriti ga i stavljati 1/2 do 2/3 žlice tijesta (ovisno o veličini kalupa, moj je promjera   cm).
Pritisnite kalup da se tijesto rasporedi jedlično. Nakon 20-ak sekundi okrenite i ispecite i s druge strane.
Kalup nije potrebno ponovno mazati uljem, samo nastavite stavljati tijesto i peći dok ne potrošite svu smjesu.
Kad se keksi ohlade možete ih spremiti u plastičnu vrećicu.
Poslužite ih ovako jednostavno ili premazane pekmezom, čokoladnim namazom i sl. Moja su ih djeca spajala nutellom.

Isprobali smo također oblikovati tek pečene tople ferratelle. Savijala sam ih preko drške drvene kuhače. Pridržati par sekundi dok se keks ne ohladi i očvrsne. Ohlađene "tacose" smo punili sladoledom.