The Mostaccioli are spiced Christmas cookies in a diamond shape and are typical of the Neapolitan tradition. They are covered in dark chocolate and made with a dough without eggs and butter, but with flour, water, honey, and scented with a blend of aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and nutmeg, THE PISTO!
I tasted the mostaccioli for the first time at my in-laws’ house, in fact during the Christmas holidays, like the roccocò, they were always present on their table. Christmas lunch always ended with coffee and a mostacciolo, and I have a beautiful memory of it!
The recipe I share with you today is the family one that I prepare every year. I am sure you will love them very much, they are soft, fragrant, and very delicious. They are prepared quickly, in fact, you mix everything in a single bowl, create a nice dough, let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then roll it out and cut out the classic diamonds. Once cooked and cold, you dip them in dark chocolate so they will have a wonderful glaze and then they can be served! They are a must-make, let’s prepare them together.
See you soon, Susy
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 15
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for the Mostaccioli
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pisto
- 1/2 tsp baking ammonia
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 tbsp water
- 1 orange zest (grated)
- 1/4 cup acacia honey
- 9 oz 55% dark chocolate
You will need
- diamond cookie cutter
Preparing the Mostaccioli
In a large bowl, I put the flours, sugar, cocoa, grated orange zest, pisto, baking ammonia, and salt. I add honey and water and start kneading until a soft, non-sticky dough is obtained. I wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, or even overnight for enhanced fragrance.I roll out the dough on a slightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 3/8 inch. With a diamond-shaped cutter about 2 inches, I cut out diamonds and place them on a well-spaced baking sheet, brush them with a little water, and then bake at 350°F for 12/14 minutes in static mode. Fresh out of the oven, they are soft, but once cooled, they will become harder.
Meanwhile, I chop the dark chocolate into pieces, put it in a bowl, and melt it in a bain-marie or microwave. I dip the mostaccioli in, place them on a rack, and tap the rack several times on the work surface to allow excess glaze to drip off, resulting in a smooth and perfect surface. I let them cool for the glaze to solidify before tasting!
Storage
The mostaccioli can be stored for up to a week in a closed cookie tin.
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