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Mustazzoli (Salento almond, cocoa and spice biscuits)
Spiced almond biscuits
Eggless diamond-shaped spiced almond biscuits glazed in dark chocolate
In Lecce and the towns of the Salento, mustazzoli are baked for Christmas and for the summer saints' feasts, when stalls at the fairs stack them in glossy dark piles. They are diamond-shaped biscuits of toasted almonds, flour, sugar and cocoa, spiced with cinnamon and cloves and brightened with orange zest, then coated in dark chocolate. Inside they are firm and dense, a bit like a soft gingerbread, with a crisp chocolate shell. Eat them with an espresso after lunch or pack them as a gift; they keep for weeks. The dough was always egg-free: water and the sugar bind it, the ground almonds give fat and body, and a little baking powder keeps them from being leaden. Use a dark chocolate with no milk solids and the whole batch is vegan. Chef's tip: let the biscuits cool completely before glazing; the common mistake is dipping them warm, which melts the chocolate into a thin streaky coat that never sets glossy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the biscuits
- 5 ½ oz blanched almonds
- 9 oz plain flour
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 orangezest only, finely grated
- ½ cup warm waterroughly
For the glaze
- 7 oz dark chocolate (dairy-free)70% cocoa, chopped
- 2 tsp sunflower oil
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Toast 5 ½ oz blanched almonds on a tray for 8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant, then cool and grind them finely.
8 minStep 2: Mix the ground almonds with 9 oz plain flour, 5 ½ oz caster sugar, ⅞ oz unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 orange in a bowl.
Step 3: Add ½ cup warm water gradually and knead into a firm, smooth dough that no longer sticks to your fingers. Wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1 cm thick and cut into 5 cm diamonds, re-rolling the scraps. Place on a lined tray.
Step 5: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until risen slightly, firm at the edges and just springy in the middle. Do not let them darken at the base.
14 minStep 6: Cool completely on a rack, at least 20 minutes.
20 minStep 7: Melt 7 oz dark chocolate (dairy-free) with 2 tsp sunflower oil in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth and glossy.
5 minStep 8: Dip the top of each biscuit in the chocolate or spread it on with a knife, and set on baking paper until firm, about 30 minutes in a cool room.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mustazzoli (Salento almond, cocoa and spice biscuits) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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