Instructions: Heat a nonstick pizzelle iron. In a large bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Slowly add the sugar, and continue mixing until well blended. Whisk in the extracts. Slowly add the cooled butter in a steady stream, whisking continuously until the batter is smooth.

Slowly add the sifted flour mixture, and keep whisking until the flour is completely incorporated into the batter. Do not overmix.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 Ateco plain tip with batter. Pipe 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter in a circle around the center of each pattern on the heated pizzelle iron. Close the iron and seal with the clasp. Cook for 50 to 60 seconds. Using a small spatula, remove pizzelles, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine sugar with a 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Gently swirl until sugar dissolves. Without stirring, cook mixture until dark amber in color, swirling pan carefully while cooking, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and slowly add the cream, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful: The hot caramel will splatter when the cream is added. Add the vanilla bean and the butter, and stir until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl, and set aside to cool. (

Makes about 1 cup)

When pizzelles are cool, trim to shape, if necessary. Spread half of the cookies with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooled Caramel Sauce and sandwich together with a plain cookie, pressing gently to evenly spread caramel. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

This recipe yields about 8 cookies.

Comments: Stroopwafel is a Dutch confection that sandwiches caramel between waffle-like pizzelle cookies. What makes stroopwafels especially unique is the way they are eaten. The Dutch serve them with mugs of cocoa, coffee, or tea, and lay the stroopwafel across the rim of the cup, letting the steam warm and soften the cookie so it seems like it has just come from the oven.

In Holland, the cookies are small so they can fit neatly over a demitasse cup, but this recipe produces larger cookies that are perfect for your favorite, oversize mug. Pizzelle cookies are common in Europe, where the batter is cooked on a special tool called a pizzelle iron.

In Italy, pizelles are twisted into cones and filled with whipped cream, and they can also be used for cannoli shells and ice-cream cups. Because they harden as they cool, any shaping needs to be done while the cookie is still soft and warm.

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