The recipe for mostaccioli that I want to talk about today is not the Neapolitan one. These that I prepared have the same shape, but they are softer, richer in spices, and include egg whites in the dough. According to the recipe that inspired me, and whose internet page no longer exists, these mostaccioli should be a specialty of Castel di Sangro. I don’t know if this is true because I’ve never heard of them nor had the chance to taste them locally; I’m mentioning it only for the sake of precision and for informational purposes. It’s a dessert that needs to rest for at least a couple of days before being tasted. Only then, in fact, all the spices will give the mostaccioli that flavor, that aroma, which characterizes them unmistakably, even without the chocolate coating. The preparation is very easy. They can be kneaded by hand and cut with the appropriate diamond-shaped tool, or cut into lozenges. I always prepare them at Christmas and they can become an excellent gift idea, wrapping them in small boxes or transparent bags suitable for the purpose.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 3 Hours
- Portions: 4 lbs
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, New Year
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup Potato Starch
- 1 cup Butter (or margarine)
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 Unbeaten Egg Whites
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 cups Chopped Almonds or Hazelnuts
- 3.4 oz Orange Juice
- as needed Orange Zest
- 1 pinch Fine Salt
- 1 pinch Ground Cinnamon
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- 2 Crushed Cloves
- 1 tsp Vanilla Paste or Liquid
- 1 pinch Baker's Ammonia
- 2 lbs Dark Chocolate
Preparation
Before proceeding with the process, I would like to spend a few words on the texture. The original recipe does not specify what consistency the dough should have, but it goes without saying that the dough needs to be firm and compact; otherwise, it would be impossible to cut out the diamonds. Therefore, I strongly recommend adding one tablespoon of orange juice at a time and not adding more until the previous one is absorbed. You might need more or less than indicated by me because it depends on the quality of the flour and the size of the egg whites.
If the dough turns out too soft, don’t worry because even if you can’t give it the desired shape, the taste doesn’t change, and that’s what matters, in my opinion! You can, in fact, give the shape you want by helping with two spoons. This happened to me the first time I made them. After a first moment of discouragement, I formed balls of dough larger than a walnut, which I baked and glazed following the recipe, and they were highly appreciated, to my great satisfaction. One last thing: as days go by, they become softer and irresistibly good!
Prepare all the ingredients so you have them all at hand.
1) In a large bowl, sift the flour and starch, add the salt, orange zest, finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts, sugar, cocoa, unbeaten egg whites, softened butter cut into chunks, all the spices, and ammonia. Give it a stir and start adding the orange juice until obtaining a firm, compact yet not hard mixture (otherwise, we won’t get soft mostaccioli), easy to handle and work with. As soon as all the ingredients are perfectly amalgamated, form a dough ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for at least two hours.
2) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3) After the time has passed, take the dough out and place it on a well-floured surface. Roll it out with your hands to a finger’s thickness, and start forming the diamonds. Knead the scraps that inevitably form and continue forming mostaccioli until the dough is finished. You can choose what size to make your mostaccioli. I made both small and large ones.
4) Place the formed mostaccioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them for about 15 minutes, in the middle of the oven. During baking, the mostaccioli tend to flatten, which is why it’s necessary to cut them rather thick. They are ready when the color becomes matte; as they bake, they will lose their shine. Do another baking test by detaching one from the tray. If it comes off easily, it’s ready. Take them out of the oven and let them cool on a rack. Only when they are completely cool, can they be glazed.
For the glaze. Melt dark chocolate in a bain-marie.
5) We can glaze them in two ways:
A) Place the mostaccioli on a rack with a plate or container with a larger diameter than the rack underneath. Pour the melted chocolate over the diamonds and let the excess drip away, which will fall onto the plate below. Let them cool this way.
B) Alternatively, you can place each individual mostacciolo on a fork and, using it, dip them into the melted chocolate. Let the excess glaze drip off before placing them to dry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Once they are perfectly dry, store them in a bag or tin box. Let them rest for at least a couple of days before enjoying them (if you can resist the temptation to taste them).
Bon appétit
