Vanilla Bean Banana Cream Filled Pizzelle Cookies

I was so very excited to receive this beautiful text from my best friend a few weeks ago.

I could not wait to surprise her with the simple, subtly sweet, utterly delicious result I had created in the canvas of my heart and soul.

I crafted – and had every intent to deliver this gorgeous treat – adorned with love birds and bells (well, not really – the beauty of the pizzelles is that they speak for themselves).

However, I made an innocent mistake. 
In my excitement and dreams of something truly gorgeous and noteworthy, I decided the earthy sweetness of ground hazelnuts would be an excellent addition to the traditional pizzelle cookie batter. It sure was, indeed. Yet, as I shared my excitement in the addition, my friend’s response was devastating to my sensitive heart.

“I’m deathly allergic to hazelnuts.”

I was crushed.
Alas, it’s the thought that counts, right?

And this gives me an excuse to create something truly amazing and celebratory for her upcoming birthday. I already have that planned! (Look out, Mads 🧡)

If you are curious about our conversation, the difference between Italian Pizzelle cookies and Dutch Stroopwafles is outlined below:

Italian Pizzelle ingredients typically include eggs, sugar, flour, butter (or oil), baking powder, and vanilla or anise extract. Some recipes may also include salt, while optional additions can be citrus zest, anise seeds, or cocoa powder for flavor variations. The batter is then cooked in a specialized pizzelle iron (or pizzelle press) to create a thin, crisp waffle-like cookie.
In Italian, pizzelle (pizzella in the singular) means "little flat round" or "little pizza," derived from the word "pizze," meaning "flat" or "round," combined with the diminutive suffix "-elle," signifying smallness. The name refers to the appearance of the traditional Italian waffle cookie, which is thin and circular. 

A stroopwafel is a thin, round, waffle-like cookie from the Netherlands, made of two crispy waffle layers sandwiched together with a sweet, gooey caramel-like syrup filling, often flavored with cinnamon. The cookie is traditionally enjoyed warm by placing it over a hot beverage like coffee or tea, which softens the syrup to a perfect gooey consistency.

Pizzelles are thin, crisp Italian waffle cookies that are not filled, while Stroopwafels are chewy, caramel-filled Dutch sandwich cookies. Pizzelles are light, delicate, and very crispy. They are mildly sweet and flavored with ingredients like vanilla, anise, or lemon zest and are often served plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or rolled into a cylinder while still warm to be filled later with cannoli cream. 

On the other hand, Stroopwafels are chewy and soft on the inside, with a warm, gooey center, and slightly crispy on the exterior. They are sweet, rich, and spiced with hints of cinnamon, caramel, and vanilla, and are traditionally placed over a mug of hot coffee or tea. The rising steam warms and softens the caramel filling, creating a decadent, melt-in-your-mouth experience. 

Vanilla Bean Banana Cream Filled Pizzelle Cookies

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely ground hazelnut
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ butter, melted and cooled
4 eggs
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
*Vanilla Banana Cream Filling

Preheat pizzelle iron and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.

 

In a large bowl, combine flour, ground nuts, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and baking powder. Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of batter on the pizzelle iron and close.

 

Bake as directed by the manufacturer or until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 
Using a nonstick spatula, remove each pizzelle to a cooling rack; repeat with remaining batter.

 

Cool completely before icing with the *Vanilla Banana Cream Filling. 

 

*Vanilla Banana Cream Filling
1 cup crème fraîche
1 vanilla bean, scraped of seeds from the inside (use the seeds and discard the vanilla bean pod)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 large bananas

 

Using a food processor, puree all the filling ingredients together until smooth.

 

Transfer to a bowl and store in the fridge until chilled and set, several hours.

 

Slather the filling between two cooled Pizzelle cookies for a lovely “sandwich.”

 

Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.