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Mostaccioli Cookies {Italian Gingerbread}

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 28 (3-inch diamond) cookies

Ingredients
  

  • For the cookies dough
  • 1 ¾ cups 227 gams all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 100 grams ground almonds (also labeled almond meal)
  • 3 tablespoons 18 grams cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves + ½ teaspoon cinnamon OR ¾ teaspoon Lebkuchengewürz
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
  • Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 40 grams bittersweet chocolate grated
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • cup 65 grams granulated natural cane sugar
  • cup 100 grams honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the glaze
  • 125 grams bittersweet chocolate chopped fine

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ground almonds, cocoa, cloves and cinnamon (or Lebkuchengewürz), baking powder, orange & lemon zest, grated chocolate and salt until blended.
  • In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until frothy.
  • Pour egg mixture over flour mixture, and using a sturdy spoon, stir until combined and there are no visible traces of flour.
  • Divide dough in half. Place one piece on a lightly floured surface then dust top of dough with flour. Roll dough out to ½-inch thickness, lightly dusting with flour as needed.
  • Using a 3-inch diamond cutter, dipped in flour to prevent sticking, press out cookies and place 1-inch apart on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Add cutout scraps to second half of dough, and repeat the rolling and cutting process, rerolling dough as needed.
  • Bake cookies until dry and still soft to the touch, 8–10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.
  • To glaze the cookies, bring a small pot of water to a boil with a bowl set on top that fits snugly. Add ⅔ of the chocolate to the bowl and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from pot of boiling water and stir in remaining chocolate until fully melted. Dip tops of cookies into chocolate, letting excess drip back in the bowl; place cookies on a wire rack until chocolate is set. Cookies are ready to eat or gift once chocolate is set, but also age very well stored in a tin in a cool, dry spot.