You In the Mood for a Nutty Buddy?

When I was a little girl one of the highlights of my day was to hear the sound of the Ice Cream Truck, ringing his bell as he slowly made his way closer to our house. Growing up in Florida and spending the better part of the day playing outside, there wasn't anything much nicer than a cold treat on a hot summer day.

You know what a Nutty Buddy is, right? They are the delicious little ice cream treats, which consists of a waffle cone, filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with a crunchy layer of crushed nuts and chocolate topping. And there has always been a right and proper way to eat a Nutty Buddy, you know. The nuts and chocolate are the first to go. Then you bite off the bottom of the cone and slowly eat the vanilla ice cream through the opening. Once the ice cream is gone, you slowly unwrap that delicious waffle cone and proceed to devour it. For me that was always the best part.

Well, times have changed, and I don't have to wait for the Ice Cream Man anymore. I can make waffle cones right here at home, with my Pizzelle Baker. Ok, let's get that title right...it's the VillaWare Prego Pizzelle Waffle Maker.

This is a nice little kitchen helper that's very similar to your average waffle maker, but with a twist. To begin with, it's a bit smaller. The width of the machine itself is 10 inches, and the overall depth is about 10 and 1/2 inches...that's including the handles. After baking, the pizzelles are just under 5 inches around. And one more measurement for you, the cord reaches exactly 3 feet. Because of its' size, it's pretty easy to store. It also has an attractive stainless steel finish, which will go with just about any kitchen decor.

Probably the biggest difference between this Pizzelle Baker and your average waffle iron is the design of the finished product. First of all, you're making a wafer-type cookie, a pizzelle, rather than a waffle. These are much thinner and very crisp. You're also not going to see those typical large squares that you see on a waffle. With this, you get a pretty flower-looking design on one side of your pizzelle and small squares on the back of it.

Using the VillaWare Prego Pizzelle Waffle Maker is really easy. Before you heat it up (just plugging it in....there's no on/off switch), dap a little vegetable oil on the surfaces. And you only have to do this once...there's no need to keep re-oiling it. It takes about 6 or 7 minutes for it to reach the right temperature for cooking. There's a green indicator light right below the handles that will go off when it's ready. This light will go on and off the entire cooking time, regulating the temperature. In the meantime you can mix up your batter.

There are several recipes offered in the owners user manual. They'll all pretty similar, and some with variations using different flavorings, like chocolate or almond.

You'll just dip out a heaping tablespoon of the batter and put it into the center of each grid. If you place it just a tad off-center, towards the back, they seem to spread out more evenly. You can also use half that amount of batter and it will only spread as far as the tips of the flowers, making them look like snowflakes when they're finished.

Close the lid and clamp the handles together. The clamps are attached to the top handle and move easily into place. And the handles do stay cool, so you won't get burned. Wait about 30 seconds for them to cook. They will get browner the longer you leave them there. When they're finished I use a spatula to move them to my cooling racks and immediately sprinkle them with some powdered sugar, because they cool just as quickly as they cook. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

If you want to shape pizzelles into cones to make Nutty Buddys there is a special utensil offered by the VillaWare company to do this (The Cone Roller), but it really isn't necessary. I just use my fingers to roll them up. As long as they're still warm, they're pliable. It takes a little practice, but the end result is worth it, and you can save yourself a couple of bucks.

Cleaning up the VillaWare Prego Pizzelle Waffle Maker is simple by just wiping it down with some paper towels. If you do get some batter that's stuck, just rub some vegetable oil on it and let it sit overnight. It'll wipe off easily the next morning. The exterior will clean with a damp cloth. Don't be scrubbing it with any of the scouring pads, or you'll get scratches on the surface. Very important....Never immerse this machine into water, and don't throw it in the dishwasher.

The only problem I have with my VillaWare Prego Pizzelle Waffle Maker has nothing to do with the product. It's the fact that I just don't use it that very often. Which, in my book, makes it a gadget. And it also makes me wonder if the price is justified. Maybe you will use it more frequently than I have. There is a full one year warranty for any defects from the materials or workmanship. They say they will repair it free of charge. Of course, if you use it as a ping-pong paddle and it gets some dings on it, it won't be covered. 8-)

The VillaWare company is located in Cleveland, Ohio and they have a website at www.villaware.com. They have some wonderful products, so you may want to check them out.


8-)
~~Nedi~~