Mustaccioli

Mustaccioli are Christmas biscuits typical of Central and Southern Italy, especially Campania. They are spicy sweets covered in chocolate, traditionally diamond-shaped. Here is the classic recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of almond flour
• 250 g of sugar
• 50 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 100 g of honey
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• The grated zest of one orange
• The grated zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 shot of anise liquor or rum
• 200 g of dark chocolate for the topping

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix the almond flour with the sugar, unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, and baking powder.

2. Add the honey, grated orange and lemon zests, and the chosen liquor. Start to work all the ingredients with your hands until you have a smooth dough.

3. Form sticks about 10 cm in length from the dough, and cut them into diamonds or rectangles. You can use a knife or a fluted pastry wheel.

4. Arrange the mustaccioli on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them rest for about an hour.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 15-20 minutes.

6. While the mustaccioli are in the oven, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, being careful not to burn it.

7. When the mustaccioli are cooked and have cooled, dip them in the melted chocolate, making sure they are well covered on all sides.

8. Allow the chocolate to solidify by placing the mustaccioli on a wire rack or parchment paper.

Trivia

In tradition, the name “mustaccioli” is often associated with the use of concentrated grape must in the dough, although in the contemporary recipe this ingredient is no longer so common. The spicy taste of these sweets makes them perfect to be accompanied by a sweet wine, such as a passito or moscato.