Take the butter from the fridge, weigh it, cut it into cubes, and put it back in the fridge; it needs to be very cold, otherwise the dough for the mustaccioli will be too soft to handle.

Weigh all the ingredients, and make sure to be precise with the measurements.

Sift together the cocoa, rice flour, cornstarch, and potato starch and set aside.

Finely grate all the zest of an orange and then squeeze its juice (which we will keep in the fridge in the meantime).

Coarsely chop together the toasted almonds and hazelnuts (make sure they are toasted; otherwise, they will taste bland) but do not leave too large pieces, as they might be bothersome, especially for children.

Separate the yolk from the egg white (which we will put in the fridge) and save the yolk for some other preparation.

Finely pound the two cloves and also prepare all the other spices.

Let’s prepare the actual dough for the mustaccioli.

1_ In a large bowl, pour the sifted powders (cocoa, rice flour, potato starch, and cornstarch) and the instant coffee powder (it will give a pleasant boost to the aroma and flavor of the mustaccioli, just like a spice).

2- Add the sugar.

3- Add the chopped nuts.

4- Add the fine salt.

5- Add all the spices, baking ammonia, and grated orange zest.

6_ Finally, add the unbeaten egg white, cold butter in chunks, and a little orange juice at a time, until you obtain a firm dough. Be sure not to pour all the juice at once.

Mix very quickly if working by hand, or at speed 1 if using a stand mixer, to prevent the machine from overheating the butter, until all ingredients are combined. Don’t worry if the butter doesn’t appear perfectly or completely incorporated; it’s not a problem.

Shape the dough into a rectangle or square with a thickness of 3/4 inch, using rice flour if needed. The mustaccioli, in fact, must be tall, as they will flatten slightly during baking.

Cut the mustaccioli with the special cutter and re-mix the scraps to form more mustaccioli until the dough is completely used up.

As you shape the mustaccioli, place them on a baking sheet already covered with parchment paper, spacing them 1 inch apart.

If the temperature in the house is too high, put the baking sheets in the fridge and in the meantime, turn on the oven and bring to a temperature of 356°F.

Bake the mustaccioli in the hot oven, at mid-height, until the cookies lose their sheen and the aroma of the spices becomes pronounced.

The mustaccioli are done when they easily detach without any issues from the parchment paper (pick one from the tray, without burning yourself and with due precautions).

Immediately take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before proceeding with the glazing.

For the glazing

Put the coarsely chopped dark chocolate in a saucepan, add the milk, and melt it in a double boiler or microwave, whichever is more convenient.

As soon as the chocolate is perfectly melted, remove it from heat sources, let it rest for only 5 minutes, and then add a level teaspoon of vegetable oil and mix well.

Prepare a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

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Dip each mustacciolo above and below in the melted chocolate, remove the excess with a spatula or fork and place them on the parchment paper on the baking sheet.

Let the chocolate coating cool and then place your gluten-free soft mustaccioli in a box or on a serving plate.

If you notice that the temperature is too high or very humid at home, store them in the fridge, well closed in a cake holder or a box, in a place that is cool and dry to prevent the chocolate coating from softening too much.

The ingredients and, in particular, the spices present in the soft mustaccioli will bring out all their flavor and aroma over time.

Bon appetit

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