Ferratelle Abruzzesi

Name: Ferratelle Abruzzesi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Abruzzese
Ingredients: 3 large Eggs; 100 g caster sugar; 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 250 g Plain flour; 1 whole Lemon; 1 tsp aniseed; 1 g Fine sea salt; 15 g icing sugar

Crisp, patterned wafer biscuits scented with aniseed and lemon zest. In different areas of Abruzzo they are also known as pizzelle, neole, or cancellate.

🇮🇹Italy· Abruzzo

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 390 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

3 large Eggs — at room temperature
100 g caster sugar — fine white sugar
80 ml Extra virgin olive oil — mild, fruity Abruzzese oil
250 g Plain flour — sifted, Italian Tipo 00 preferred
1 whole Lemon — finely grated zest only, unwaxed
1 tsp aniseed — lightly bruised seeds, or 1 tbsp anisetta liqueur
1 g Fine sea salt — a tiny pinch
15 g icing sugar — for dusting finished wafers

Equipment

•Patterned pizzelle or ferratelle iron
•Mixing bowl
•Whisk
•Pastry brush
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 390 kcal
fat: 15 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 390 kcal

Instructions

1
Whisk the eggs and caster sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and slightly thickened.
2
Pour in the extra virgin olive oil gradually, whisking steadily until combined.
3
Add the finely grated lemon zest, bruised aniseed, and a pinch of salt.
4
Fold in the sifted plain flour with a spatula to form a soft, spoonable dough.
5
Heat the traditional patterned ferratelle iron over a medium flame until thoroughly hot.
6
Lightly brush both inside plates of the hot iron with a drop of olive oil.
7
Drop a walnut-sized ball of dough onto the centre of the lower plate.
8
Clamp the handles firmly shut to spread the dough across the pattern.
9
Cook for roughly sixty seconds over medium heat.
10
Flip the iron over and cook the second side for another sixty seconds until golden.
11
Open the iron and lift the crisp wafer onto a wire rack with a fork.
12
Repeat with the remaining dough, then dust the cooled wafers with icing sugar.

Chef's tips

Preheat the iron thoroughly before the first wafer so the dough releases cleanly without sticking. If using an open-flame stovetop iron, keep the heat moderate to prevent scorching the delicate sugar in the dough. For softer wafers (neole style), shorten the cooking time by twenty seconds per side.

Ingredient substitutions

extra virgin olive oil → melted unsalted butter for a richer, softer crumb
aniseed → half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or pure vanilla extract

Storage

Store completely cooled wafers in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

Ferratelle are traditionally eaten cold, but you can crisp them in an oven at 150C for three minutes if softened.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overfilling the iron plate, which causes raw dough to squeeze out of the sides.
•Using an inadequately heated iron, causing the dough to stick and tear.
•Stacking warm ferratelle directly on top of each other, which traps steam and softens the crisp texture.