Weddings are sweet wafers flavored with anise seeds, typical of Tuscany, or at least that’s what my mother told me. They are an original and appetizing dessert, prepared for special occasions. These wafers can be made well in advance, as they preserve well and retain their crunchiness if stored in tin boxes with lids. Thus, the women of the house would prepare them in large quantities, chatting between one process and another, to be enjoyed on different occasions.
Weddings are thin wafers rolled up on themselves, which we eat just like that, but they can also be filled with whipped cream or delicate creams like pastry cream. In the family, we always consumed them plain, perhaps accompanying them with a small glass of dessert wine after meals.
In our house, weddings were always prepared by my beloved Aunt Itala. Have you ever seen a recipe so many times that you think “I’ll transcribe it,” but then you never do? Unfortunately, I don’t have her recipe, but luckily I found my grandmother’s recipe book, and among the pages, I discovered the very recipe for weddings that I now want to share with you.
To prepare these wafers, a waffle iron is needed that is heated on the stove for cooking. I have the artisanal iron that my grandfather made, but fortunately, they can be found on the market today. The important thing is that it is a flat wafer iron because they need to be thin. The iron can be engraved, and indeed, it is a characteristic of these wafers, but the engravings should be light and not deep. The thinner the weddings, the crispier and more delicate they are.
Before getting into the details of the recipe, for those who love making desserts at home, I want to remind you of some other simple but really tasty recipes.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 36 wafers
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 146.89 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.90 (g) of which sugars 9.65 (g)
- Proteins 2.63 (g)
- Fat 6.56 (g) of which saturated 1.09 (g)of which unsaturated 5.18 (g)
- Fibers 0.40 (g)
- Sodium 11.40 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 29 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vanilla icing sugar
- 7/8 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup anise seeds (to soak in oil)
- 1/4 cup liqueur (rosolio or sambuca)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Waffle Iron
- 1 Ladle
Preparation
The first step is to soak the anise seeds in oil. This can be done several hours in advance, or while preparing the other ingredients; in short, it is advisable to let them soften a bit. In the bowl of the stand mixer, place the eggs along with the granulated sugar and the vanilla sugar. Start the mixer at medium speed, using the paddle attachment for medium consistency dough.
While still mixing, add the oil with the anise seeds, the liqueur, and finally the flour. You will obtain a soft but not liquid dough, similar to that of a bundt cake, but slightly more compact. You will see that as the whisk turns, the dough will wrap around it, but when you turn off the mixer, it will tend to fall back into the bowl. I hope the photo makes the consistency of the dough clear.
When the dough is ready, place the waffle iron directly on the unlit stove to heat it well. Before starting, you can slightly butter it, but do not overdo it, otherwise the butter might drip onto the stove. Actually, the dough already contains oil, so the wafers should detach easily. Once the iron is hot, place a small ladle of dough or a generous spoonful in the center. Do not overdo the quantity, as the wafers need to be thin. Press the iron and cook on both sides.
For cooking, my advice is to turn the iron after about 30 seconds, if it is hot. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds as well, then turn again for a few seconds. If they seem cooked to you, remove the iron from the stove. Using a spatula, gently remove the wafer from the iron and, using both the spatula and your fingers, roll it up on itself to create a cannoli shape. Continue this way until you finish the dough.
NOTES
As they cool, the weddings will become crunchy and will maintain this crunchiness for days if stored in tin boxes with lids. They can be consumed as is, plain, accompanied by a glass of liqueur after meals, or with tea or coffee for a snack. They are also very good filled with whipped cream or enjoyed with creams and ice cream.
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