The Italian waffle cookie usually flavored with anise, vanilla, or lemon zest is pizzelle.
Pizzelle are thin, crisp cookies made in a patterned iron, giving them their distinctive waffle-like design. The batter commonly includes flour, eggs, sugar, butter or oil, plus a flavoring such as anise or anisette. Lemon zest and vanilla are popular alternatives, especially for bakers who prefer a milder taste.
The cookies are associated particularly with Italy’s Abruzzo region, though related names include ferratelle, nevole, catarrette, and cancelle. Their name derives from Italian words connected with something small and round. Traditional pizzelle may be served plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or shaped while warm into cannoli-like shells.
They are easy to confuse with biscotti because both are Italian cookies, but biscotti are twice-baked and usually oblong. Cannoli are filled pastry shells, while sfogliatelle are layered, shell-shaped pastries—not thin waffle cookies.