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Calabrian Mostaccioli

17/11/2023

Mostaccioli, also known as ‘mustazzoli’, are traditional Christmas sweets in Calabria. They are spicy cookies that are coated with a chocolate glaze.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of type 00 flour
  • 250 g of sugar
  • 100 g of honey
  • 100 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • 1 packet of vanillin
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
  • 1 orange (grated zest)
  • A pinch of salt
  • Water as needed
  • 200 g of dark chocolate (for the topping)
  • 50 g of butter (for the topping)

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa, baking powder, vanillin, cloves, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
  2. Add sugar, honey, and grated orange zest.
  3. Mix everything together, gradually adding lukewarm water until you get a compact and homogeneous dough.
  4. Shape the dough into small rectangles or diamonds, about half a centimeter thick.
  5. Place the Mostaccioli on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spaced apart to prevent them from sticking during cooking.
  6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 15-20 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by melting the dark chocolate in a double boiler with the butter.
  8. Once baked, let the Mostaccioli cool and then dip them one by one into the chocolate glaze, making sure to cover them completely.
  9. Let the glaze solidify before serving.

Trivia

Traditionally the recipe calls for using cooked grape must instead of sugar, which is probably where the name “Mostaccioli” comes from. Moreover, the type of chocolate used for the topping can vary from family to family; some prefer sweeter chocolate while others prefer a bitter version.

I hope you find this recipe satisfying and that the Calabrian Mostaccioli will bring a bit of Calabrian flavor and tradition into your home!