Mostacciole Cookies

Going for a little Italian American flair, I thought I'd try to made Mostacciole cookies.  They're small, spicy, cake-like cookies that blend cinnamon and cocoa for an interesting and unique flavor.  To be honest, I didn't care for them much myself, but the girls loved them, and if you like gingerbread I think you may find these a yummy alternative to the standard.

Recipe:

Cookies

2 cups All-purpose flour

1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. Ground cloves

1/4 tsp. Salt

3/4 cup Granulated sugar

1 stick Butter

1 Large egg

1/2 cup Whole milk

Glaze

3Tbsp. Unsweetened cocoa

1 1/4 cups Confectioners sugar

1/4 cup boiling water

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine the flour, cocoa, cloves, and salt.

In a separate bowl cream your butter and sugar.  Add the eggs to this.  Add in the dry ingredients and the milk alternately until well blended.  Dust your hands with cocoa and roll the batter out into 1" balls.

Bake them 2" apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper for 7-9 minutes, or until they're slightly dry and cracked on the tops.  Cool them for 20 minutes while you make your glaze.

To make the glaze, pour the boiling water over the cocoa and mix until well blended.  Gradually mix in the confectioners sugar.  Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze and place them on waxed/parchment paper to set.  If you choose to garnish them you can do so, with white candy sprinkles or (as I did) grated white chocolate bark.

I made a double batch.  This recipe will make about 60-80 cookies per batch.