Mostaccioli - An Italian Christmas Cookie

Love What UEAT
Dec 11, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Desserts & Treats#Mostaccioli #italianchristmascookies #christmasbiscotti #spicedcookie

Mostaccioli are sweet, soft, warm spiced, thick diamond shape cookies covered in melted chocolate commonly found all around Italy during the Holidays, particularly in the Neapolitan region.

Throughout the years, many variations of this cookie have been created, not only in the regions, but also throughout families.

We’d like to share with you, our family’s recipe.

INGREDIENTS: DOUGH

3 cups of all purpose flour (470 g)

1 1/4 cup sugar (250 g)

1/4 cup cacao powder (25 g)

1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)

1 teaspoon baking soda (6g)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (14 ml)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (2 g)

1/8 teaspoon cloves (1 g)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (1g)

3/4 cup honey 🍯 (255 ml)

1/3 cup orange juice (80 ml)

Zest of one large orange 🍊

1-2 tsp of warm water (5-10 ml) IF NEEDED

INGREDIENTS: GLAZE

2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (220 g)

DIRECTIONS FOR DOUGH: Makes approximately 40-50 cookies

1) In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, add all your dry ingredients and whisk till well combined.

2) Add the wet ingredients and the orange zest. Work the dough with your hands.If you feel that the dough is too stiff, add some warm water (a bit at a time) till you get a soft dough.

3) Reverse the dough on a working surface, knead it for a few minutes and form a ball. (add some flour if needed.

4) Roll out the dough to the thickness of 1/2” (1.3 cm) in between 2 parchment sheets. (add some flour if needed)

5) These cookies are traditionally made big (about double our size); personally we like them smaller. A two bite cookie … LOL … and used a 3” (7.6 cm) diamond shaped cookie cutter.

Cut out your shapes and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Collect the excess dough, form it into a ball, roll it out and continue to make more cookies, till all the dough is used.

NOTE: If you do not have diamond shaped cookie cutters, you may use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to make your diamond shapes.

6) Place the cookies into a preheated 350 Fahrenheit (180 C) oven for 8-10 minutes.

We can’t stress enough that everyone’s oven is different so please check on them at the halfway mark. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely. The cookies should feel soft to the touch when you remove them from the oven. If the cookies are hard, that means that they are over baked.

7) Once the cookies are completely cooled, melt the semisweet chocolate chips over a double boiler. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.

8) Dip the top of the cookies (one by one) in the melted chocolate and give the cookies a bit of a “swirly shake” to help release the excess chocolate and place them on a wire rack, or a lined cookie sheet.

NOTE: If you prefer both sides of the cookies covered in chocolate, dip the entire cookie in the chocolate and by using 2 forks, turn the cookies and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and let the chocolate set.

What a beautiful, delicious ancient traditional cookie to add to your Christmas cookie platter.

Don’t forget to leave a few of the Mostaccioli cookies along with a glass of warm milk for Santa (Babbo Natale). He might like a different type of cookie besides the usual chocolate chip cookie. 😂 Santa will surely come back to your house every year ! 🎅