What is it about Christmas that has inspired the invention of so many sweet morsels across so many different cultures? Cookies above all. I suppose it may have something to do with the fact that Christmas is the ultimate holiday for kids. And, to paraphrase that old song, it doesn’t matter if those kids are one or ninety two.
Italy is no exception, and Naples in particular has an especially rich assortment of Christmas sweets like struffoli and roccocò—both which we’ve already featured here at Memorie di Angelina in past years—zeppole dolci, susamielli, raffiuoli, divinoamore, pasta reale … and today’s featured recipe, every chocolate lover’s favorite Christmas cookie, mostaccioli.
Mostaccioli are made with a fairly simple flour dough flavored with sugar, cocoa, orange and spices, and studded with chopped almonds. The dough is cut into rhombus shaped cookies, which are baked ever so briefly and finally dipped in melted bittersweet chocolate.
Mostaccioli are made all over southern Italy, but Neapolitan variety is are especially delicious, scented as they are with a special mix of spices called “pisto” (not to be confused with pesto!) which we’ll talk about some more in the Notes.
With their chocolate glaze on the outside, soft and moist highly fragrant insides with just a bit of crunch from the almonds, mostaccioli are a delight, even for those of us who don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Makes 15 mostaccioli more or less, depending on size and thickness
For the dough:
- 250g (1/2 lb) flour, preferably of the “00” type
- 75g (3 oz) almonds
- 150g (5 oz) granulated sugar
- 25g (3 Tbs) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp spice mix (see Notes)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- The zest and juice of one orange
- A drizzle of olive or vegetable oil
- 100ml (3 fl oz) water, or as much as needed
For the glaze:
- 500g (1 lb) bittersweet chocolate
Directions
Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped but not quite ground.
Mix all the dry ingredients (including the orange zest) in a mixing bowl. Then add the orange juice, oil and, little by little, as much water as you need to form a pliable and slightly sticky dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for an hour or more.
Take the dough out of the fridge. Flour the dough lightly and roll it out between sheets of wax or parchment paper about 1 cm (3/8 inch) thick.
Remove the top layer of paper and cut the dough into rhomboid shaped pieces about 6-7cm (2-3 inches) long.
Place the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake in a moderate (180C/350F) oven for about 12 minutes, for a soft cookie, or up to 15 minutes if you like a crunchier one.
Let the cookies cool completely.
Meanwhile, heat the bittersweet chocolate over the gentlest flame you can manage just until it has melted. One by one, dip the cookies in the chocolate to cover them top and bottom. Let any excess drip off.
Place the chocolate dipped cookies on a baking rack until the chocolate sets, about an hour, before eating.
Notes
Like most cookies, mostaccioli are pretty easy to pull off. The dough should come together quite quickly and easily in a mixing bowl. I use a dough whisk and then my hands. No real need to use a standing mixer, though of course you can if you like. The dough can be a little sticky, so make sure to flour your hands before you handle it.
The dough is even stickier after it’s rested, so also be sure to flour it lightly and roll it out as instructed between two sheets of wax paper. If you have a rhomboid shaped cookie cutter, cutting the dough is a breeze. Using a knife is a little trickier, but a ruler helps. Cut the dough first into parallel vertical strips, then across on an angle.
As for baking, the longer it goes, the firmer your cookie will be. For me, the 12 minute bake indicated above is the sweet spot, not too soft, not too crispy. See “Variations” below for details.
For the final dipping in melted chocolate, I find using two forks helps, flipping the cookies over once or twice to make sure it’s completely coated in chocolate. Then lift it out of the chocolate with one fork from below to ensure the top remains smooth and pretty.
Key Ingredients
Almonds
The almonds should be raw whole almonds. Not roasted, not salted or honeyed or otherwise flavored or treated in any way. In other words, just plain old almonds. Believe it or not, where I live just plain old almonds can be surprisingly hard to find. In a pinch, I head to the baking section, where I can usually find sliced or slivered almonds. Not ideal since they’re usually rather dried out and tasteless, but they’ll do in a pinch.
Speaking of which, if your almonds are a bit dry or low on taste, a short toss in a skillet (or warming in the oven) can revived them by bringing out their natural oils.
Chocolate
In my recipe testing, I found that one 10 oz bag of bittersweet chocolate was just enough for the 15 cookies I made. The problem is that as you get down to the last bits of chocolate at the bottom of the saucepan, it’s too shallow for dipping. The cookies will be covered but they won’t have that attractive uniform sheen you get from a proper dip. So I’m recommending you use at least 500g (1 lb). More than you will probably need, but if you have extra, you can always make hot chocolate!
Spices
Like that other Christmas cookie called roccocò, the Neapolitan version of mostaccioli get much of its characteristic flavor from a spice mix known as pisto. It typically includes ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, plus sometimes other spices like star anise, pepper, coriander, cardamom. In Naples you can buy pisto ready made in stores, but it is, of course, easy enough to make at home simply by combining these spices in equal proportions.
North Americans could use the very similar “pumpkin spice” as a substitute. Another, rather more unorthodox substitute would be Chinese five spice powder, which typically includes some of the same spices—cinnamon, star anise and cloves—but rather atypically also includes fennel and Sichuan peppercorns. And that’s just what I decided to do this year. It actually made for an interesting change.
Variations
There are probably as many mostaccioli recipes as they are families that make them.
Mostaccioli can vary by size and thickness. Traditionally, mostaccioli were quite big, about 10-12cm (4 to 4-3/4 inches) across. Today they tend to be more standard cookie sized: 6-7 cm (2-3 inches) per the recipe above. While most recipes call for a thickness of about 1 cm (3/8 inch) mostaccioli can be as thin as 6-7mm (1/4 inch) or as thick as 1.5cm (slightly over 1/2 inch).
As mentioned above, cooking times can vary between 10 to 15 minutes, with a few recipes calling for baking times of up to 20 minutes. The longer they bake, the firmer your mostaccioli will be. And obviously the thicker they are, the longer they will take to bake. Personally I find that for a 1 cm thick cookie, 12 minutes is the sweet spot.
Some recipes omit the almonds. Not all recipes call for oil, but I find it provides an appealing richness. Some include honey as well as sugar. The amount of sugar varies quite a bit from recipe to recipe. Most modern recipes call for no more than 1:2 ratio of sugar to flour, which I find is plenty sweet, though old time recipes were quite a bit sweeter (see below). Some recipes replace the orange zest with lemon. And some recipes call for a jigger of rum or a demitasse of espresso.
Classic recipes
The oldest recipes for mostaccioli omit the almonds altogether and tend to have a lot more sugar. In her classic La Cucina Napoletana, Jeanne Caròla Francesconi includes an interesting recipe from 19th century Neapolitan philosopher and gastronome Vincenzo Corrado‘s 1820 Il Credenziere di Buon Gusto for “stuffed” mostaccioli. The dough has equal parts flour and sugar along with spices, orange zest, baking soda and water. Interestingly, Corrado’s dough contains neither almonds nor chocolate. The baked cookie is dipped in melted chocolate—and on one side a coating of apricot marmalade.
For her own “simple” mostaccioli, Francesconi offers a simple version without the marmalade and another with almonds and candied fruits. No chocolate in her dough, either. But she does recommend letting the dough “ferment” for 24 hours for her simple dough or 48 hours for the almond and candied fruit version.
Regional variations
Mostaccioli are popular all over southern Italy and, of course, the recipe varies by region. In Molise, for example, the dough includes hazelnuts as well as almonds, as well as grape must. Indeed, the original recipe must have included must, since the very name mostaccioli comes from mosto, the Italian word for must.
In Sicily, they make a very different mostaccioli. The dough is made with vino cotto, a semi sweet ruby colored wine also made from grape must, and the crushed almonds go on the outside. Vino cotto also goes into the dough in Puglia, but what really makes these mostaccioli stand out is the absence of the chocolate glaze.
And in Calabria they break the mold entirely. Their mostaccoli are made with flour, honey and spices. And that’s it.
But wait, there’s more… Since this post came out, cyberfriends have written to let me know about yet more regional variations. Friend from Rome tell me their mostaccioli are made with hazelnuts, pepper and honey. A friend from Umbria (in the comments below) say Umbrian mostaccioli are made with bread dough, honey, almonds and grape-must. Which also shows the mostaccioli aren’t just from the south, either. The list goes on and on…
Post scriptum
A quick note for North American readers, who may be confused by the name “mostaccioli” which is the name that Barilla uses to market a certain pasta shape there. There’s no confusion for Italians, however, who call that shape penne lisce, or smooth penne, aka penne without the ridges. Not sure how or why the name of the pasta changed when it crossed the ocean.
Mostaccioli napoletani
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 250 g 1/2 lb flour, preferably of the “00” type
- 75 g 3 oz almonds
- 150 g 5 oz granulated sugar
- 25 g 3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp spice mix see Notes
- 1 tsp baking powder
- The zest and juice of one orange
- A drizzle of olive or vegetable oil
- 100 ml 3 fl oz water, or as much as needed
For the glaze:
- 500 g 1 lb bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped but not quite ground.
- Mix all the dry ingredients (including the orange zest) in a mixing bowl. Then add the orange juice, oil and, little by little, as much water as you need to form a pliable and slightly sticky dough.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for an hour or more.
- Take the dough out of the fridge. Flour the dough lightly and roll it out between sheets of wax or parchment paper about 1 cm (3/8 inch) thick.
- Remove the top layer of paper and cut the dough into rhomboid shaped pieces about 6-7cm (2-3 inches) long.
- Place the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake in a moderate (180C/350F) oven for about 12 minutes, for a soft cookie, or up to 15 minutes if you like a crunchier one.
- Let the cookies cool completely.
- Meanwhile, heat the bittersweet chocolate over the gentlest flame you can manage just until it has melted. One by one, dip the cookies in the chocolate to cover them top and bottom. Let any excess drip off.
- Place the chocolate dipped cookies on a baking rack until the chocolate sets, about an hour.
Discover more from Memorie di Angelina
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
And you might also like...
Parmigiana bianca di zucchine
Pasta con nduja
Frico
Patate alla lucana (Basilicata Potato Casserole)
Patate al forno (Italian Oven Roasted Potatoes)
Pollo al mattone (Chicken under a Brick)
Abbacchio alla romana (Roman Style Roast Lamb)
Gratin di cavolini di Bruxelles e funghi (Brussels Sprouts and Mushroom Gratin)
Patate in tecia
Insalata di arance e finocchi (Orange and Fennel Salad)
Orange and chocolate, one of my most favourite combinations. And especially at this time of year for Christmas! These would add a really special touch to my family Christmas table. Hope you have a great Christmas and New Year Frank!
Thanks so much, Neil. And same to you and yours!
This is the first I’ve heard about pisto, but I’m well acquainted with the flavors. They’re my favorite baking flavors…and perfect for the holidays! That chocolate glaze is staring at me longingly right now, too. Well done, Frank, well done. Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
Thanks, David. And the same to you and yours!
I love how you captured the magic of Christmas sweets and their connection to childhood nostalgia, it really is a universal tradition, isn’t it? Mostaccioli sound absolutely divine, especially with that orange and spice mix giving them a festive twist. I might just have to add these to my holiday baking list; they seem like the perfect balance of indulgence and tradition!
Thanks so much, Raymund! I hope you like these. And I think you will!
I am not a cookie eater in general – but these are delicious -I am going to make some more and give them as Christmas presents to my friends! I used quite a bit of black cardommum – thank you !
That’s fabulous, Fufy! I’m not much of a cookie fan either, but I make an exception for these.
Great recipe. Not something I thought I would enjoy but it has become a favorite of mine now.
Delighted to hear it, Tricia! Thanks for your comment. And happy holidays!
The tradition is confirmed. I eat more cookies this time of year, than any other time of year. My options seem endless. I love this style of cookie… sweet, but not to sweet. perfect for the adults and the children too.
Happy holidays to you, and your family. Look forward to your posts in the new year.
Velva
Ditto for me, Velva!
I know quite a few holiday cookies from Italy, but these pretty morsels are new to me. Despite the simplicity of the ingredients and recipe, they look outrageously delicious and inviting. Saving it to try – can’t always make only pasta, right?!
Right! I think this would be a nice addition to your Italian repertoire, Ben.
As far as I know I don’t believe that I have ever had Mostaccioli cookies. They dp sound like a cookie I would really love.
Thanks, Karen! Sounds like a good reason to give the recipe a try. 😉
I really look forward to trying these, Frank. Orange and chocolate has been a favorite flavor combination of mine since childhood, thanks to the Terry chocolate balls that I would find in my stocking each Christmas morning. (Although my taste in chocolate has gotten better over the years…) Unlike many of your readers, and you, I do love sweets. I am of the belief that every meal needs closure (in the way dessert), even if it’s just one cookie… or two. Sometimes three.
You’re so right, it’s a fabulous flavor combination I’ve enjoyed since childhood, too. Unlike you, though, I can’t put my finger on where the love affair started… Anyway, this sounds right up your alley! Btw since you like the taste so much, you might want to increase the amount of orange juice, perhaps even use that instead of water, as some recipes do.
As for dessert, I’m all for it. It’s just that I usually get that palate cleansing and sense of closure from a piece of fresh fruit. That said, I have to admit, in my old age I’ve been closing my dinner more and more often with a piece of dark chocolate after the fruit… Maybe I’m changing?
dipping anything in dark chocolate is a winner for me Frank 🙂 THese look splendid. Merry festive season to you.
cheers
sherry
You’re right. It’s hard to go wrong when you dip something in chocolate, Sherry. Have a lovely holiday season.
A totally new offering for me . . . and hence delightful to try perchance! And use my beloved Chinese 5-spice powder to boot . . . like the almonds and bitter-sweet chocolate . . . thank you :)! May your holiday preparations be enjoyable. Here we are battling over 100F temperatures . . .
Thanks so much, Eha! Enjoy your very warm Christmas. I have to say I’ve always found it hard to imagine Christmas in the summer. 😉
This is a stupendous recipe Frank and one I have always wanted to try! also thank you for the research. In Umbria, we also have our own versions and even some interesting history. Apparently Saint Francis was fond of cookies made from bread dough, honey, almonds and grape-must. Perhaps for this last ingredient they are called “mostaccioli” which you find in every bakery in town both with and without chocolate.
How fascinating! The sound lovely, too. And it’s hard to argue with an endorsement from Saint Francis. 🙂
These are exactly the type of cookie I would love, particularly with the pisto. They look so festive with the chocolate coating.
They really are, Eva. Happy holidays!
I don’t eat very many sweets, but these would be hard to pass on!
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, either. But I make an exception for these…
They look delicious and isn’t it amazing just how versatile almonds can be!
Indeed they are, MD. So many ways to enjoy them, including right from the bag. 😉
They remind me of German Printen 🙂 Delicious and festive!
Hmmm, TIL what Printen are, lol! I do see the resemblance. Enjoy!