Robby’s Winterfest Baking #7
The “baking therapy” discussed on this blog refers to my personal experience using baking as a self-help and relaxation tool.”
Hey everybirdy! Robby here. Welcome back to the nest, and to the chapter where Briella’s little show grows up a little.
This is day seven of Briella’s Winterfest Baking from 2019, and it is a first: her first guest. At the end of the shortbread chapter she told her Gerbits she was leaving for Selvadorada and pre-recording the rest of the series. What she actually did was better. She baked on location, in the kitchen of the family hosting her, and invited Consuela Flores, the daughter of the house, to bake pizzelles with her. Pizzelles are the crisp, patterned Italian waffle cookies most people only make at Christmas, and my recipe card has always asked the right question about them: a Christmas time cookie that we are confused about why we don’t make all year round.
You still get the real recipe and the real costs here: 36 cookies for $1.93 at Walmart, $1.65 at Costco, and $1.44 the food bank way, when the eggs were given to me. Having the eggs given saves $0.49, because three eggs are the priciest line in a batter this plain, and eggs are something pantries really do hand out. Costco wins this one, which does not happen often in this series.
One note I always keep: when I say baking therapy, I mean my own way of finding calm in the kitchen. I am not a professional therapist. There is something deeply grounding about making pizzelles, because the iron only takes one or two at a time and the machine itself forces you to slow down and stay where you are. Put on a podcast, take a breath, let the vanilla fill the kitchen. A slow recipe can hold a whole afternoon gently.
Meet Briella Ponder
Sul Sul, Gerbits! Briella Ponder here, in Selvadorada. As you can see I have a guest. You are my first guest. Everyone this is Consuela Flores. She and her dad invited me to live in their house while I am here. So, I decided that I would invite Consuela on to make Pizzelles. Which are a typical Italian waffle cookie. I did invite her dad as well, but he said that he had something he had to do. But you might see him in the background of the videos.
What You Will Need
- 1/2 cup shortening (the recipe printed on the machine gives the amount without its unit; a half cup is the reading that works, and the price sheet counted it that way. My everyday version uses 1/2 cup margarine instead, and my post has always said so.)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature, for lightness and structure
- 1 3/4 to 2 cups all purpose flour, start with 1 3/4 and add more if the batter feels too loose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or anise extract for the traditional licorice flavor
- Pinch of salt
Makes 36 cookies, 3 dozen. That is the recipe exactly as it is printed on the pizzelle machine itself, which is where Briella got it and where my recipe card got it, unit gap and all. My one ingredient note is the flavor choice, and it is a real one: vanilla is my kitchen’s regular, warm and gentle, and anise is the traditional Italian choice, with that classic licorice taste. Neither is wrong. They are two different Christmases.
Let’s Get Baking
This is one of the simplest recipes that you will make in this list, saying this though in order for it to be simple you have to have a pizzelle machine. I honestly don’t know how others make it without the machine. I assume that you could use a waffle machine, because pizzelles are waffle like.
You are going to spray the machine with a non-stick spray and then you are gonna want to place about a teaspoon amount of batter into the middle of each section.
Robby’s method notes, from my real post: beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy first, stir in the melted shortening or margarine and the vanilla, then fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until a thick, smooth batter forms, and do not overmix. Heat the iron completely before the first cookie. My card drops about a rounded tablespoon of batter per grid where Briella’s machine recipe says a teaspoon; irons vary, so start small and let your first two cookies teach you your iron’s amount. Bake 30 to 45 seconds by the card, longer on a cold iron, and use the steam as your clock: when it slows down, the pizzelle is close. Cool them flat, in a single layer, on a wire rack, and do not stack them warm or they will lose their crispness.
Consuela, did you grow up with any recipes that were unique to your family?
Not really. My mom ran away from my dad right after I was born. Dad was trying his best to raise me and I never really had a homemade cookie. I was struggling for a while when I started school, because I was jealous of all the other kids because they had homemade cookies, that their moms had made.
Dad did try one time, but they were as edible as bricks. It wasn’t until I became a teenager that I had homemade cookies again. I really wanted to learn how to make cookies and desserts. Trying different Simstuber baking channels and none of them were to my liking. Found Ponder-ing Life’s Winterfest baking at the start of Summer. I was hooked.
Wow, I am so sorry. I am glad I was able to help you at least in a small way.
Consuela: smiles, pauses for a second “You know… my dad is single and around your age. Do you want to meet him?”
Wow! Um… thanks for the offer but I am not so sure that is a good idea. And technically I have already met him.
Consuela: “You sure…? There are ladies and gents lined up to date my dad.”
Haha… Briella awkwardly changes the subject.
My family loves going to garage sales, and finding unique things. We found this pizzelle machine at a garage sale, for 2 simoleons. We were both so excited. People don’t realize this but I get my love for baking from my mom, Alice. Yes, the great actress is secretly a baker.
My dad loves the fact that I got into baking as well. He is always calling me asking me if I have any new recipes. Or what I am baking today. They both really encourage me to do what I love. My sibling also encourages me.
Robby’s note: in the original chapter, Briella asks Consuela her question a second time right here, after Consuela has already answered it. That is live show hosting for you. It is printed once in this update, and the answer she gave is the one above, untouched.
These cookies are going to look like waffles. The first batch of cookies, (which is two cookies) are probably going to be browner than the other cookies. They usually take about 2-3 minutes, but once the machine gets warmed up, it should only take about 1:20 minutes.
Thank you to everyone who watched this video. Remember if you want to make this recipe just look down at the description bar of this video. Thank you to Consuela and her dad for hosting me in Selvadorada, and thanks Consuela for being with me today on my show. Hope you come back tomorrow for another recipe.
Robby’s note: stay with Consuela’s story for a second, because it is the reason this chapter matters more than the cookie. A kid jealous at school because other children had homemade cookies. A dad who tried once and made bricks. A teenager teaching herself from baking channels until one of them felt like home. Then she is standing in her own kitchen, on the show she learned from, being handed a warm cookie she helped make. Nobody in that story is a tragedy. They are just people for whom a homemade cookie was not a given. If you have ever been the kid, or the dad, this recipe page is yours as much as anybody’s. That is not a small thing for a five cent cookie to carry.
Questions and Robby
What does a batch really cost?
I price every recipe three ways, at everyday store prices, warehouse store prices, and a food bank version where the main ingredient was given to me, and the prices were checked October 28, 2026. A batch of 36 pizzelles costs $1.93 at Walmart, about $0.05 a cookie, $1.65 at Costco, about $0.05, and $1.44 the food bank way, about $0.04. One honest note: my recipe card still prints an older count, $1.85 a batch and $0.05 a cookie. The three way figures above come from my October 28, 2026 price sheet, counted ingredient by ingredient, and they are the ones I trust now.
What does the food bank version change?
The eggs. Three eggs are the priciest line in a batter this plain, and eggs are something pantries really do hand out. With the eggs given to me, the batch drops to $1.44, a savings of $0.49.
Can I use a regular waffle maker?
Briella wondered the same thing in 2019, and the honest answer is sort of. A waffle maker will give you a thicker, softer cookie, tasty but not a pizzelle. Pizzelles are thin and crisp, and that thinness is the whole identity. If a pizzelle iron is your obstacle, do what the Ponder family did: watch garage sales and thrift stores. Their machine cost 2 simoleons. Real ones turn up secondhand for a few dollars all the time.
Why margarine instead of butter?
Imperial margarine is my budget friendly regular, around $1.24 a box the last time my post priced it, and in this recipe it earns its place on texture too: margarine helps the cookies stay crisp and hold their pattern, while butter makes a softer cookie that spreads. Your kitchen, your call, but the crisp classic is the margarine one.
How do I keep them crisp?
Cool them completely in a single layer before stacking, store airtight at room temperature up to a week, never in the fridge, because the moisture softens them, and re-crisp any soft ones briefly in a low oven.
Where can I read more of Generation B?
The whole story started on my Tumblr, robbybirdy, in 2019. I am bringing the baking chapters home by folding them into the matching recipe posts, because those are the chapters where this blog really began.
Closing
Everybody starts somewhere. Briella’s family started with a two simoleon garage sale machine. Consuela started as a teenager with a screen and a stubborn streak. My readers start with whatever iron, whatever flour, and whatever budget is in the house that week, and every one of those starts counts.
And because this chapter is about a girl whose dad’s cookies came out like bricks: if your first batch is heavy, you are not behind. You are at the beginning of the exact story this whole series keeps telling. Vanilla or anise? Have you made pizzelles before, or is this the year? Tell me in the comments. I read all of them.
This is also the part where I always say the bigger thing, because my work carries it too: $1 of every $5 in my shop goes to the Geneva Center of Concern, and I walked 31 miles in October for Feeding America, because a five cent cookie should be within everybody’s reach, and because I know what it means when it is not.
Thanks for reading a piece of where this blog came from. You are not alone in the kitchen. Happy baking, everybirdy!
Bake the real thing. The full recipe card is on this page, with Briella’s story above it and my real costs beside it: $1.93 a batch at Walmart, $1.65 at Costco, $1.44 the food bank way. Print it, save it, or bake straight from the screen.
Join the Flock. My newsletter is where the new recipes, the real costs, and the next chapters land first. It is free, and you are welcome at the table: Robby’s Baking Therapy on Substack.
Support the kitchen. Tips and printables live on my Ko-fi, and $1 of every $5 goes to the Geneva Center of Concern, the food pantry where I volunteer: Robby’s Baking Therapy on Ko-fi.
Shop the story. You can find the tools and ingredients from my kitchen on Benable if you want to bake along: Robby Birdy on Benable.
Pizzelle
Ingredients
- ½ shortening
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 ¾ – 2 Cups Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 tsp. Vanilla.
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- In a large bowl, beat your eggs and sugar thoroughly until the mixture looks nice, light, and fluffy. Gradually stir in your cooled, melted shortening (or butter/margarine if that's what you have) along with your favorite extract—vanilla works beautifully, or you can go traditional with anise.
- Sift your flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt together in a separate small bowl. Gradually fold this into your wet egg mixture until just combined. Don’t worry when the dough turns out heavy, thick, and sticky—that is exactly what you want.
- Preheat your pizzelle iron. Use a pastry brush or a simple folded paper towel to lightly coat both the top and bottom grids with a bit of vegetable oil or shortening so your cookies release effortlessly.
- Drop about a rounded tablespoon of the thick batter right onto the center of each patterned grid on your heated iron. Gently close the lid securely and latch it shut.
- Cook for about 30 to 45 seconds. A great trick is to simply watch the steam, once it stops pouring out and the cookies turn a beautiful light golden brown, they are ready.
- Carefully remove the hot pizzelles with a fork or thin spatula. Lay them flat on a wire cooling rack in a single layer so they crisp up completely into delicate, satisfying treats. This straightforward batch makes about 3 dozen cookies.
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