Chocolate and spice cookies from Crumbs by Ben Mims

Various cookies across Italy go by a similar name that’s based in the Latin mostacea or mustum, which refers to grape must (or musk), the concentrated grape juice that was a primary sweetener of Mediterranean cultures before processed cane sugar became the norm. The most well-known version with the most consistent ingredients is the Neapolitan version, which is a dough spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg—a mix often called pisto, which is sold in grocery stores—and made with cocoa powder, candied citrus, and honey.

Oftentimes coffee or diluted espresso is added to enhance the bitterness and color of the cocoa and spices. The dough is cut into diamonds, baked, and then coated in melted chocolate. It’s essentially a “chocolate gingerbread,” and because of that, recipes are infinitely varied and most suit more modern palates by using sugar and honey instead of grape must, which is difficult to find outside of vineyards that make it.

Of the seemingly infinite other cookies with a similar name, the two most common are mustazzoli Salentini and the rame di Napoli, both of which play with the same ingredients in different forms. Both are given as variations here.

Preparation time: 1 hour 25 minutes, plus cooling and standing time

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes: About 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 115g blanched whole or slivered almonds
• 200g white US granulated (UK caster) sugar
• 120ml brewed coffee, at room temperature
• 85g honey, grape must or dark corn syrup
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground cloves
• 1tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 280g plain flour
• 25g natural cocoa powder
• 1tsp baking powder
• ½tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
• 1tsp fine sea salt
• 450g bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2tbs vegetable shortening or refined coconut oil

Method

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the almonds out on one of the baking sheets and bake until lightly toasted, about 6 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a food processor, let cool, and pulse until finely ground. Reserve the baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, coffee and honey and heat over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and orange zest. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda (bicarb) and salt. Add the cooled syrup mixture and stir until the dough just comes together and there are no dry patches of flour remaining.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to flatten until 1cm thick. Using a pizza cutter or chef’s knife, cut the dough into strips 5cm wide, then cut each strip every 5cm at an angle to make diamonds. Transfer the diamonds to the prepared baking sheets, spaced 5cm apart.

Bake until darker brown at the edges and just dry to the touch on top, 15–18 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks. Let the cookies cool on the pans for 1 minute, then transfer them to the racks to cool completely.

In a large heatproof bowl in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and shortening together until smooth.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working with one cookie at a time, dunk it into the melted chocolate and use two forks to turn it and coat each cookie completely. Lift the cookie with the two forks and let the excess drip off into the bowl, then transfer to the parchment paper.

Place the sheet in the refrigerator to set the chocolate before serving.

Variations

Mustazzoli Salentini

Add 120ml vegetable or plain olive oil (not extra-virgin) and 1tsp baker’s ammonia to the dough. Using an ice-cream scoop, drop mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 5cm apart. Bake as directed. Do not coat in melted chocolate. Dust the cooled cookies with cocoa powder.

Rame di Napoli

Form and bake the mustazzoli Salentini variation (above), but while the cookies are still warm, brush their tops with orange marmalade. Once cooled, cover in melted chocolate, as in the Neapolitan version, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios before the chocolate sets.

Read more: Ben Mims’ Crumbs gives a comprehensive guide to cookies

Image: Simon Bajada