In this episode, Nonna Mia demonstrates her Southern Italian, honey cookie recipe. As is the case with regional cookies, the recipe, the name and other nuisances vary from region to region. You might see them called Mustazzuole, or Mustaccioli, and the like, and they might come in special shapes or designs. Whichever way, they are delicious. They are definitely a family favourite.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups flour plus extra for dusting the board
- honey 1 1/3 cups
- fig honey 1 1/3 cups*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- zest of a lemon
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 4 eggs + 1 yolk for brushing at the end
- 1 cup roasted almonds (optional)
- coarse sugar or sprinkles (optional)
Nonna loves to create a "nest" with her flour and prepare her dough the traditional way, but you may of course use a standing mixer. She creates a 5-cup nest and adds to its center, the honey, spices, zest, salt, baking powder and eggs, using her hand to mix and slowly fold in the flour.
* Please note that fig honey isn't commonly found, so you can make your own with dried figs. Alternatively, you may substitute date honey or even molasses, or even just regular honey. Either way, they taste delicious.
It is a sticky dough that will continuously require more flour as you work it. Once you have a smooth and soft dough, you can incorporate the almonds. Nonna cuts her dough in half and adds half a cup of almonds to each mound, eventually shaping the dough into 2 logs about 18 inches long.
Nonna places the logs on a cookie tray lined with parchment and allows it to rest about 30 minutes.
Next Nonna bastes the top of the logs with egg yolk and she adds coarse sugar. It is also common to see sprinkles added on top, or for thin 'ropes' of dough formed into decoration.
She bakes them in a preheated oven at 350 for about 25 minutes. Once cooled, at least 10 minutes, she cuts them diagonally, about half an inch thick. Our family prefers them slightly chewier and softer, but if you like a crunchy, crispy cookie, bake it a second time for about 10-15 minutes, as you would a 'biscotti'.
Nonna's recipe makes about 5 dozen, but the yield will of course vary with how high/wide/thick you form your cookies.
Buon appetito!