Hi everyone! Is it too late to jump on the unicorn bandwagon?
What a busy spring it has been. I was out of town for work most of the last month, and when I finally got back I had this small matter of my wedding to attend to. 🙂 It turned out to be a beautiful day, at least for the few hours we needed it to be. It stormed the night before and then again that afternoon, but in the late morning it dried up and the sun actually peeked out a little bit. It was a small ceremony, with only the two of us and the pastor (and photographer), but it was perfect, and everything we wanted it to be. I made my own wedding cake – I know, everyone says not to do it – but it turned out great. I made one of the geode cakes that has become so popular lately. Do you want to see a picture?
So, as you can see, I have been busy, and I have been baking. I just haven’t had time to do much for this blog. But I got a pizzelle maker from my parents for the wedding, and I knew I had to do something fun with it. Since I hadn’t made any unicorn treats yet, and they seem to be so popular, I decided it was time. And because I just can’t leave something well enough alone, I made a couple of variations.
Of course the “plain” cookie is delicious, but I also used a circle cutter to cut smaller circles and filled those with white chocolate buttercream. Then I rolled them in sprinkles. Because unicorn cookies need sprinkles. And for the larger cookies, I filled some with a caramel stroopwafel filling. Stroopwafels are a pizzelle-like cookie from the Netherlands filled with a cinnamon caramel. I had never had one, but they sounded delicious – and they are. Apparently you can place it over a steamy mug of coffee or tea, and that will warm the cookie and filling slightly, making it even better.
Pizzelles are so easy to make. Yes, you need a pizzelle iron, but they are totally worth it. They are a really simple batter, and they cook up so fast you can make a ton of cookies pretty quickly. And, they work perfectly with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if you are GF. You can flavor them with any extract you want. And you can fill them with almost anything. They make great ice cream sandwiches. Or curl them into an ice cream cone while they are still warm. Or spread on some peanut butter, or Nutella, or cookie butter….
If you aren’t into unicorns, go with darker colors and make galaxy-inspired cookies. Or, with graduation season upon us, color these with your school colors. They would be great for a graduation party! However you make them, you should make them soon!
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- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup flour 1 to 1 gluten-free blend if desired
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- food coloring pink, blue, purple - optional
- 2 cups basic buttercream
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
Ingredients
Pizzelles
White Chocolate Buttercream
Stroopwafel Filling
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- Beat eggs and sugar with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer until light yellow in color, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add vanilla and cooled, melted butter and mix until combined.
- Sift together flour and baking powder, and gently stir into egg mixture.
- If desired, divide into three equal portions and color each portion a different color.
- Place each color into a small disposable piping bag, cut off the ends, and place all three into a larger piping bag.
- Or, using a long spatula, place the three colors side-by-side in the large piping bag.
- Preheat and grease a pizzelle iron according to manufacturers directions.
- Pipe about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter onto each circle and bake 25-35 seconds.
- Remove from iron with a spatula and place flat onto a wire rack to cool.
- For smaller cookies, use about 1/2 tablespoon batter and cook for 15-20 seconds.
- As soon as cookies come off of the iron (you have about 15 seconds tops), use a 2 to 3 inch round metal cookie cutter to cut a circle out of the middle of the cookie. Cool on wire rack as above.
- Combine chocolate chips and cream in a microwavable bowl.
- Microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips are melted. (You are making a white chocolate ganache.)
- Cool ganache to room temperature, either on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- Place buttercream into a bowl, and beat in cooled ganache.
- Sandwich two small pizzelles together with the white chocolate buttercream, and roll edges in sprinkles if desired.
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 234 to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly, no more than 5 minutes.
- Working quickly, and CAREFULLY (it's hot sugar!), spread about 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture on one full-size pizzelle and top with another cookie.
- If the mixture gets too thick before you finish filling cookies, place the pan back on the burner on low until the mixture starts to thin back out.
- Use any extract you like. Anise is a traditional flavor for pizzelles.
- Use any colors you like, or leave it uncolored and drop by spoonfuls instead of piping the batter.
- Fill the cookies (or not) with any filling you like. Ice cream, buttercream, Nutella, etc.