Mostaccioli Napoletani

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Small saucepan
• •Rolling pin
• •Sharp knife for cutting diamonds
• •Two baking sheets
• •Wire cooling racks
• •Double boiler or heatproof bowl and saucepan
• •Small offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, baking powder, and salt. The mixture should be uniform in color. Set aside.

2. 2

   Warm the honey

   In a small saucepan, combine the honey and sugar. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is fluid and smooth. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and stir in the minced candied orange peel.

   Italian millefiori honey has a complex floral character that commercial honey lacks. If you cannot find it, use any good wildflower honey. Avoid clover honey, which is too bland for these cookies.
3. 3

   Form the dough

   Pour the warm honey mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms, then turn it onto a work surface and knead briefly until smooth. The dough will be dense and slightly sticky. If it clings too aggressively to your hands, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it crumbles, add water one teaspoon at a time. Wrap tightly in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Roll and cut

   Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 8mm (about 1/3 inch). It should be even throughout. Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond shapes approximately 6cm (2 1/2 inches) long. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2cm between each cookie. They will not spread, but they need air circulation.

   Gather the scraps gently and re-roll once. Mostaccioli dough toughens with overworking. After the second rolling, the scraps go to the baker.
5. 5

   Bake until firm

   Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies are done when they are firm to the touch and slightly darker at the edges. They will still feel soft when hot but will harden as they cool. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool completely. This takes at least 45 minutes. Do not attempt to glaze warm cookies.

6. 6

   Prepare the chocolate glaze

   Place the finely chopped chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. The bowl must not touch the water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat. The glaze should be fluid enough to coat easily but not so thin that it runs off the cookies.

7. 7

   Glaze the cookies

   Set a wire rack over a sheet of parchment to catch drips. Working with one cookie at a time, dip the top surface into the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Place chocolate side up on the rack. Alternatively, use a small offset spatula to spread a thin layer of chocolate across the top of each cookie. The coating should be even and thin, not thick and gloppy.

   If the chocolate thickens as you work, return it briefly to the double boiler. Work quickly but without panic. The chocolate is forgiving if you keep it moving.
8. 8

   Let the chocolate set

   Allow the glazed cookies to sit at room temperature until the chocolate is completely set and no longer tacky, at least one hour. In warm kitchens, you may refrigerate them briefly, but return to room temperature before storing. Stack in a tin with parchment between layers.

Chef Tips

• •Grind your own almonds from whole blanched nuts. Pre-ground almond flour is too fine and lacks the texture mostaccioli require. Pulse in a food processor until sandy, not powdery.
• •The black pepper is not a mistake. It appears in the oldest Neapolitan recipes and adds a subtle warmth that rounds out the other spices. Use freshly ground, never pre-ground.
• •Authentic mostaccioli often use ammonia bicarbonate instead of baking powder. It produces a drier, crisper cookie and leaves no aftertaste once baked. Find it at Italian grocers or pharmacies. Use the same quantity.
• •These cookies improve over several days as the spices meld and the texture firms. Do not eat them all immediately, though you will be tempted.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made one day ahead, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before rolling.
• •Unglazed baked cookies keep in an airtight container for one week. Glaze them the day you plan to serve or gift them.
• •Glazed mostaccioli keep for two weeks in a tin at cool room temperature, with parchment between layers. They do not freeze well; the chocolate blooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 28g)