The Mostaccioli (Italian Christmas Cookies)

The mostaccioli are sweet Christmas cookies typical of the regions of Southern Italy.

There are many variations, as many are the countries in which these sweets are cooked right on feast days.

Prep. Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Makes: 30 mostaccioli

Video Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 17.75 oz of dark chocolate
  
• 2 cups + ¼ cup + 1 tbsp of granulated sugar
  
• 1 cups + ½ cup + 3 tbsp of honey
  
• 6 cups + 3 tbsp of 00 flour
• 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon powder
• the grated rind of two lemons
• a pinch of salt
• hot water

METHOD:

1. Mix the flour with honey, sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind and salt.
2. Gradually add the hot water until the mixture is homogeneous and elastic.
3. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin up to a thickness of 0.59 inches and cut it into diamond shapes with cookie cutters or simply with a knife.
4. Bake the Mostaccioli in the oven at 356 F for 15 minutes.
5. For the icing: melt the chocolate in a bain-marie in a fairly large container and dip the biscuits one at a time, covering them with chocolate.
6. Help yourself with kitchen tongs in this operation.
7. Put the Mostaccioli on a wire rack or on a baking sheet so that the icing solidifies.
8. Subsequently you can make small touches to the icing, if there are any imperfections, using a brush put in the chocolate.
9. If you want to keep your mostaccioli for several days, the best way is to put them in a tin box.

BUON MANGIATA!