The Rame di Napoli (Cocoa and spices Cookies)

Rame di Napoli are famous Sicilian cookies intensely flavored with chocolate and spiced with cinnamon and cloves, a perfect taste combination for the fall and winter seasons.

They have a soft and cakey consistency, topped with a dark chocolate glaze and sprinkled with grated pistachio nuts.

The pop of color on the dark cookies makes them look as beautiful as they taste.

Sicilian Cocoa & Spice Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup frollini or plain tea biscuit cookies, ground into coarse crumbs
• milk as needed (approximate amount around 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 cups “00” flour or cake flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup lard, melted
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp orange marmalade
• 7/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla, or 1 packet vanillina (vanilla powder)
• 1 tsp baking ammonia

For the chocolate glaze:

• 1 cup dark chocolate
• 4 tbsp butter
• shelled unsalted pistachios, to taste

METHOD:

1. Put the cookie crumbs in a medium bowl, just barely covering them with milk.
2. Allow them to sit and soak until the crumbs have absorbed the milk, then stir well until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency.
3. In a separate large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.
4. Add the milk-soaked crumbs to the mixture and combine well.
5. At this point add more milk into the batter, a little at a time, and using a wooden spoon stir until the mixture reaches the consistency of a thick paste, like that of pastry cream.
6. The amount of milk you add will depend on the type of cookie crumbs used, but the amount will likely be approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
7. Look for a somewhat loose and creamy consistency that still holds its shape and is not runny or liquid.
8. Let the batter rest for one hour.
9. Preheat the oven to 325 and prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.
10. Scoop the batter into individual oval shaped cookies onto the parchment paper using a spoon.
11. Bake for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until the tops of the cookies appear dry.
12. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.
13. Begin making the glaze only when the cookies have cooled and you are ready to frost them.
14. To make the glaze, melt the chocolate and butter together using a double boiler on low heat, stirring constantly.
15. Once the chocolate has completely melted and the consistency of the glaze is a thin liquid, remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
16. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, coating the surface evenly, and then return them to the cooling rack to dry.
17. Using a grater or zester, grate some pistachio shavings on top of each cookie.

Source: Monte Nero