Italian Mostaccioli Cookie Recipe #christmas #snack

A traditional European cook with make almonds, sweet with honey, scented with both river and yellowness flavour, cloves, cinnamon and swaybacked in beverage.

Ingredients

COOKIE DOUGH

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups almonds very finely ground
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa powder I used dutch processed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• orange zest from 1 large orange
• lemon zest from 1 medium sized lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Limoncello or substitute with the juice of one lemon
• 3 ounces coarsely grated semi-sweet or bitter sweet chocolate

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

• 12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 12 ounces white chocolate
• vegetable oil for thinning the chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, finely ground almonds, cocoa powder, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder and salt then set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the eggs together.
5. Mix in the sugar and honey, beating until very well combined.
6. Stir in the orange and lemon zest, the vanilla extract and limoncello.
7. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined.
8. Stir in the grated chocolate.
9. The dough will be very soft and pliable.
10. Working with small portions of the dough at a time (about 1 heaping cupful) transfer to a well floured surface.
11. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/3 of an inch thick.
12. Use a 2 inch diamond cookie cutter to shape and cut out the cookies and then transfer to the prepared baking sheet while spacing them about 1 inch apart. (dipping the cookie cutter in flour before each use will tremendously help for easy release.)
13. Re-rolled the scraps to shape and cut just 1 more time.
14. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The cookies should still be slightly soft to the touch when ready.
15. While one batch is baking in the oven continue rolling and cutting with the remaining dough.
16. Make sure the cookies cool completely before dipping in chocolate.

CHOCOLATE COATING:

1. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave, using a microwave safe bowl on high for about 90 seconds stirring at 30 seconds interval.
2. Thin the chocolate with a little bit of vegetable oil to loosen the consistency somewhat for easy dipping.
3. Dip half a batch of the cookies into the melted semi-sweet chocolate and place on a cooling rack till the chocolate sets.
4. Repeat by melting the white chocolate and coating the remaining cookies.
5. Before the white chocolate sets, use a piping bag filled with dark melted chocolate to dot the tops then simply run a toothpick through the dots to create a pretty pattern.
6. Allow for the chocolate to set completely before storing.