Soft Neapolitan mostaccioli, grandma’s recipe for the famous spiced cookies covered in chocolate typical of Naples. When Christmas arrives, the festive air is breathed throughout the city of Naples with all the traditional sweets, from struffoli to roccocò and zeppole, but let’s also talk about the famous chocolate mostaccioli, also known as mustaccioli, with their characteristic diamond shape. That pastry whose spiced scent, given by the pisto, is practically unmistakable. Neapolitan mostaccioli are prepared starting from December 8 and accompany all the Christmas festivities. The recipe is not difficult — in fact it’s so simple that you can even have your kids help, especially when cutting the diamonds, creating delicious shared memories. Let’s go to the kitchen now and discover how Neapolitan mostaccioli are made and you’ll see how delicious they are. Before we begin, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Low cost
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 7 Hours 32 Minutes
- Portions: 30 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients to make mostaccioli
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- orange zest (From one large orange)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (About 2 teaspoons)
- 1 tsp baker's ammonia (ammonium carbonate)
- to taste salt
- 4 tsp pisto (spice mix)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2/3 cup water (Adjust according to dough consistency)
- 1.5 cups almond flour (Or finely chopped toasted almonds)
- 11 oz couverture chocolate (For coating)
- 25 oz good-quality 55% dark chocolate (Of good quality)
Steps
Start by combining in a bowl the flour, sugar, cocoa, pisto, cinnamon and baking ammonia: mix everything together.
Add the orange zest, salt and toasted almond flour (you can optionally finely chop about 150 grams of toasted almonds in a pan or in the oven once cooled — about 1 1/2 cups),
Pour in the orange juice and begin to work the dough in the bowl. Then start adding the water little by little, kneading with your hands until the dough becomes workable, although fairly compact. The amount of water absorbed by the dough can vary from about 100 to 150 ml (about 1/2 to 2/3 cup) once the orange juice listed above has been added.
Place the dough in the fridge for about 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap. Once rested, the dough will be softer and easier to roll out. Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin into a sheet just under 1 centimeter thick (just under about 3/8 inch). To give the cookies their typical shape, use a special cookie cutter or cut the dough into diamonds about 6 cm across (about 2 3/8 inches).
Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 12–15 minutes. Once baked, let the cookies cool so that glazing them with chocolate will be easier.
Melt 100 grams (about 3.5 oz) of the coating chocolate to 99°F using a food processor (such as a Bimby), add the additional 200 grams (about 7 oz) and continue running the blades at the set temperature; then add the good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped, little by little. Keep the blades running at the same temperature, preferably using the butterfly accessory.
As an alternative to the food processor, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie using the same procedure — be careful that the hot water does not touch the chocolate container, only the steam should, and pay attention to the temperature: do not exceed 99°F. Keep the heat low, otherwise you will ruin the chocolate and it will set unevenly, becoming dull.
Once the cookies have cooled, collect a little of the melted chocolate in a warm bowl and dip the top of each cookie; let them set on a wire rack so that excess chocolate can drip off. As you proceed, keep the remainder of the chocolate warm — either in the food processor while running or in the bowl — stirring it often.
Once the chocolate has set, the mostaccioli are ready — enjoy.
Storage and tips
Neapolitan mostaccioli can be stored for about ten days if kept covered with a tea towel, in a cool, dry place.
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Pisto
What is pisto and how is it prepared?
Pisto is a well-balanced aromatic spice blend that gives mustaccioli their typical aroma. If you can’t find it in stores or online, you can grind the following in a mortar:
– 15 g white pepper (about 2 tbsp);
– 5 g nutmeg (about 2 tsp);
– 13 g cinnamon (about 5 tsp);
– 2 g cloves (about 1/2 tsp);
– 5 g star anise seeds (about 2 tsp).
Once you have a fine powder, toast it in a pan for a few moments, taking care not to burn it. Store in a small jar and use according to the quantities indicated; it keeps for several months.Pisto is a well-balanced aromatic spice blend that gives mustaccioli their typical aroma. If you can’t find it in stores or online, you can grind the following in a mortar:
– 15 g white pepper (about 2 tbsp);
– 5 g nutmeg (about 2 tsp);
– 13 g cinnamon (about 5 tsp);
– 2 g cloves (about 1/2 tsp);
– 5 g star anise seeds (about 2 tsp).
Once you have a fine powder, toast it in a pan for a few moments, taking care not to burn it. Store in a small jar and use according to the quantities indicated; it keeps for several months.
