Italian Pizzelles

Today I made these cookies for the first time. Read the end of the recipe to find out my story.

Italian Pizzelles
72 cookies
• 6 large eggs (I only had five today and it was fine)
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup salad oil (canola oil)
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons anise flavoring or anise oil
Note: I used a full bottle of Anise flavoring and added enough (Watkins White) vanilla to make up the 3 tablespoons.
Beat eggs until thick and lemony colored. Add in, beating well the sugar and beat until thick. Beat in the oil and continue beating. Add in the flour. Add in the flavor.
Heat the pizzelle maker on stove top, or if electric plug in unit.
Drop tablespoon of batter onto iron and bake until golden light brown in color. I like mine very light.
Remove and cool on wire rack. Place cooled cookies into tin cans.
If you are using anise oil, use less than you would the flavor, as oil is stronger. But taste a few after been cooled and you can always add more flavoring as you go. I have also added a few tablespoons of cornstarch in place of some of the flour, so they stay crisp in those humid days. Hope you do try and like this heirloom recipe. Amount of cookies depends on the size you make them also. Also the batter can be covered and placed in the fridge for a few hours or overnight too.
My Story: I have a friend who used to make Pizzelles, I have a cousin who uses her grandmother's recipe. I love these light crispy, thin cookies, and I absolutely had to force myself to stop eating them. I wanted to make them myself, so I wouldn't have to beg my family and friends,but I didn't have a Pizzelle Iron. So, because I am a frugal person, I put an RSS feed onto craigslist for an iron. It took about 9-months, but finally someone had a Pizzelle Iron for sale for $25. They are normally $65. It had never been used! I snapped that right up! And I'm pretty proud of the results. My older son took most of them to a Boy Scout Court of Honor dinner tonight. I wasn't able to go, but they didn't bring any home with them. I guess someone asked if they could take the rest for their work tomorrow. That's a real compliment.
(Sure hope the chickens lay enough eggs tomorrow so I can make more.)