The SOFT NEAPOLITAN MOSTACCIOLI, called mustaccioli in the local dialect, are traditional Christmas sweets that never fail to appear on the tables of Neapolitan families and much of Campania, so much so that they are considered real symbols of the most awaited holiday of the year for dessert lovers. Naturally, as with all grandma’s desserts, there are endless variations, but in any case the diamond shape of the cookie and the coating with the glossy, aromatic chocolate glaze remain unchanged in all recipes.
My recipe has two features that make it special and, in my opinion, particularly good: the softness of the dough and the extraordinary richness of flavors and aromas, thanks to the almonds which, mixed with cocoa, honey and orange, are truly intoxicating. All this, of course, is accompanied by the magical “pisto,” a blend of aromatic spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper…) that makes the aroma of the sweets unique and, I assure you, also gives the kitchen that scent of our childhood that makes us feel like children again.
If you want soft mostaccioli with a slightly different texture and flavor, try my version without cocoa and orange.
SEE OTHER TYPICAL CHRISTMAS DESSERTS:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 16-18 mostaccioli
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
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- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 g baker's ammonia (about 1 tsp)
- 3 g pisto (click to buy (about 1/2 tsp))
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup almond flour
- 4.5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (about 4 1/2 tbsp (≈25 g))
- 1 pinch salt
- 3.5 tbsp honey (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- Half orange (juice and zest)
- 12 oz dark chocolate (70%)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pastry board
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Knife
- 1 Small saucepan
Steps
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer put the sifted flour, unsweetened cocoa and baker’s ammonia, the pisto, a pinch of salt, the sugar, the honey, the almond flour, the grated orange zest and the orange juice.
You can make almond flour yourself. Simply blanch the almonds for 20 seconds in hot water, drain them, remove the skins and dry them in the oven for a few minutes. Then let them cool and grind them.
Mix everything together and add the warm water little by little. Knead until you obtain a firm dough. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little flour.
Form a dough ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Take the dough back, roll it out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, cut the dough into diamonds all the same size, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced apart.
Bake the Neapolitan mostaccioli in a preheated, conventional oven at 338°F for 15 minutes. If you prefer them slightly firmer, bake for 2 or 3 minutes longer.
Once baked, remove them immediately from the oven and let them cool completely. Do not remove them from the baking sheet while hot, otherwise you may break them.
Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Once melted, dip the mostaccioli one at a time, covering them with chocolate. Use a fork for this operation and let excess chocolate drip off.
Place them on a rack and put them in the refrigerator to cool for at least 10 minutes so the chocolate can set.
