Chocolate and Spice Cookies Recipes
By Ben Mims
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Easy
This recipe is extracted from Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World by Ben Mims is published by Phaidon (photography by Simon Bajada)
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.
Try Ben's recipe for Olive Oil and Honey Cookies or Filled Walnut Shaped Cookies!
Ingredients for Chocolate and Spice Cookies
- 115 g blanched whole or slivered almonds
- 200 g caster sugar
- 120 ml brewed coffee, at room temperature
- 85 g honey, grape must, or dark corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 280 g all-purpose (plain) flour
- 25 g natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 450 g bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or refined coconut oil
How to make Chocolate and Spice Cookies
- Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. 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, bicarbonate of soda, 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 1 cm thick. Using a pizza cutter or chef’s knife, cut the dough into strips 5 cm wide, then cut each strip every 5 cm at an angle to make diamonds. Transfer the diamonds to the prepared baking sheets, spaced 5 cm 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.
About the author
Ben Mims, author of Crumbs, is a baking expert known for turning complex recipes into approachable delights. With his background as a food editor and a passion for all things sweet, Mims shares inventive, flavour-packed creations that make home baking accessible and endlessly enjoyable.
