Pizzelles, named for the Italian word “pizze” which means round and flat, are the world’s oldest known cookie. The lacy, snowflake-like confections are traditionally made in a pizzelle iron, which resembles a waffle iron. It’s not difficult to make pizzelle cookies, especially with the advent of electric pizzelle irons. Making crisp pizzelles in high humidity can be a challenge, because the cooked dough will soak up moisture from the air and grow soft. Fortunately, there are a few tricks that will keep pizzelles crisp even when the air is not.
Omit the baking powder from your recipe. Baking powder makes pizzelles thicker and puffier. Thinner, crisper pizzelles are less likely to wilt in humid air.
Cook your pizzelles for a few seconds longer than usual. The crisper the outer layer is, the better it will stand up to humidity.
Cool your pizzelles on a wire rack. The air circulating around and underneath the cookies will help keep their own steam from adding to the humidity and softening them.
Crisp your cookies in the oven. Place your fresh pizzelles on a cookie sheet and bake them for no more than two minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The dry heat of the oven will leach out some of the moisture in the pizzelles, keeping them crisp.
Place your pizzelles in a plastic zipper bag as soon as they are cool enough to touch. Seal the bag and put them in the freezer. There will be no opportunity for the humidity to soften them and they will taste fresh-baked when you thaw them out.
Tip
Store pizzelles in an airtight container in humid weather and in a ventilated one in very dry weather.
Warning
Never store pizzelles with soft cookies because they will make the pizzelles soften.