How to make Italian Mostaccioli

I learned about mostaccioli when i was working as a tour guide. Mostaccioli is a traditional cookie of southern Italy. Like many other recipes the name changes from place to place and so the recipe. It was fun when at the beginning of my career one of the clients asked me about. I did not know, but when i learned i started to love them. This made me also understand the importance to know a lot about food and wine for a tour guide. The more i was going around the more i was learning.

In Naples they are the cookies of the Christmas period. Other places they are used all year round. In Puglia they are called mustazzoli. I think that the origins go back to the ancient roman times, because the original recipe is without sugar. To sweeten the cookie you use like the ancient Romans honey, as sugar was unknown to the ancient Roman culture. Also it is reputed that the name comes from the Latin mustace, which means laurel as in the past laurel was added to the cookies.

I will write down the basic recipe as i prepared them. Than you can add for example almonds hazelnuts before the cooking, or after cover them with chocolate. There is also the spiced version with cinnamon and or ground clove. But for me the simplicity of the basic recipe is an incredible experience for the palate.

One more thing: being used to European sweets and cookies, when i arrived here in the U.S.A the desserts served here always seems too sweet to me. This recipe teaches you how something less sweet can be still tasty and helping reducing calories.

Ingredients

One pound wheat, one pound honey, half a shot glass rum or other favorite liquor (in Italy is also used sambuca), one table spoon olive oil or also lard or butter.

I prefer the taste with olive oil

 RECIPE

Mix the ingredients with your hands and preheat the oven at 300 degrees.

Use parchment paper to cover the oven dish. Cook for twenty minutes.

The cookies have to come still soft out of the oven.

 Wine

These cookies are perfect to dip in a dessert wine. Without spending a lot all over Italy there are excellent moscato passito. Moscato is an aromatic varietal, in its dessert version it has often scents of honey, which harmonize with the honey of the cookies.

Remember to buy the still version as there are also a lot of moscato that are sparkling the most known is Asti Spumante.

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