December 17, 2018
Part two of Italian Christmas cookies!
I present to you cookies from the Abruzzo region of Italy – where my paternal side of my family is from!
Mostaccioli, biscotti-like cookies, hail from exactly where my grandma is from – in Abruzzo in eastern Italy! These cookies, which date back to three-hundred years before the birth of Christ, were originally made pressed grapes since your typical honey or sugar wasn’t available at the time. It wasn’t until centuries later that clove and cinnamon were added to the cookies for extra spiciness. With a hint of orange and lemon, these cookies are perfectly paired with coffee!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Chocolate Walnut Mostaccioli Cookies.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/4 cups white, granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup warm water
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- Beat all ingredients together in a large bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Wrap dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out dough until about 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough into strips, and then diagonally to make diamond-shaped cookies. Place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and brush tops with warm water.
- Bake cookies for 35-40 minutes or until slightly golden and firm to the touch. Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle on chopped walnuts. Enjoy fresh or store in container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
