Mostaccioli are one of the many traditional Neapolitan sweets, along with roccocò and struffoli. These cookies, typical of the Christmas season, are made particularly tasty by pisto, a spice mix based on cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and coriander. The recipe is not difficult to prepare: follow the tips here to get perfect mostaccioli to gift to friends and family.
Don’t miss these recipes for the holiday season:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 45 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsps honey
- 1 tsp baking ammonia
- 0.33 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsps pisto
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 orange (zest)
- 0.75 cup orange juice
- 18 oz 65% dark chocolate
Tools
- 1 Cookie Cutter
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Parchment Paper
Mostaccioli Steps
To prepare mostaccioli, start by pouring the flour and sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, baking ammonia, pisto, almond flour (if not available, you can grind whole almonds into powder), and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Mix well with a spatula to combine all ingredients.
Then add the honey, orange juice, and grated orange zest, and mix until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to about 0.4 inches thick. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 45 minutes.
After the resting time, cut the dough into rhombuses using the appropriate rhombus cutter with sides measuring about 2.75 inches and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 15 minutes: they should be soft to the touch. If you prefer a harder texture, extend the baking time to 20 minutes. Once baked, let the mostaccioli cool on a rack.
In the meantime, prepare the coating: coarsely chop the dark chocolate and melt it in a double boiler, stirring occasionally.
Now, the mostaccioli are ready to be glazed: you can dip them directly into the melted chocolate or distribute it evenly with a spoon. After glazing, place them on a sheet of parchment paper and let the chocolate solidify.
And here are your mostaccioli ready: enjoy them!
Storage
Mostaccioli can be stored perfectly for up to 10 days if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. In fact, they become even tastier after a couple of days!
