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Dark-chocolate-coated mostaccioli diamonds on paper over a cooling rack

Neapolitan Mostaccioli with Dark Chocolate

Spiced Neapolitan diamond biscuits with almond, orange and honey beneath a dark-chocolate coating. A home batch for 10 people.

2 hr 55 min · Serves 10

  • Campania
Jump to the recipeWhat to serve with it

The orange contributes both zest and juice. Because its juice varies, add the water in stages and stop at a firm, workable dough. Keep the chocolate bowl dry and the biscuits fully cold before coating. A home coating may set with slight surface variations; no mirror finish is required.

Make ahead Plan for an hour in the fridge before shaping, then complete cooling before the chocolate stage. Keep the finished biscuits separated with baking paper in a clean box once the coating is firm. Identify wheat and almonds, and check the chocolate’s milk and allergen declaration when sharing them. Cooling and finishing time is a planning allowance; extra tray batches take longer.

Total
2 hr 55 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
15 min
Serves
10

One step at a time, with what each step needs.

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Neapolitan Mostaccioli with Dark Chocolate

Total 2 hr 55 min · Prep 30 min · Cook 15 min · Serves 10

Method

  1. Sift the flour and baking powder. Mix in sugar, honey, almond flour, cocoa, pisto, orange zest, orange juice and salt. Add water gradually until the dough holds together like firm pastry; not all may be needed. Wrap and chill for 1 hour.

  2. Heat the oven to 170°C. Roll the dough 7–8 mm thick, cut into diamonds and place on paper-lined trays. Bake for about 15 minutes per batch. Let the biscuits cool completely before coating.Heat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough ¼–¼ in thick, cut into diamonds and place on paper-lined trays. Bake for about 15 minutes per batch. Let the biscuits cool completely before coating.

  3. Melt the chocolate gently in a dry bowl over barely simmering water, without letting water enter the bowl. Take off the heat and bring the chocolate to around 31°C. Coat the cold biscuits above and below; let excess chocolate drain on a rack. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set.Melt the chocolate gently in a dry bowl over barely simmering water, without letting water enter the bowl. Take off the heat and bring the chocolate to around 90°F. Coat the cold biscuits above and below; let excess chocolate drain on a rack. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to set.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl and sieve
  • Rolling pin and diamond cutter or knife
  • Baking trays and baking paper
  • Dry heatproof bowl and saucepan
  • Chocolate thermometer
  • Cooling rack

The dinner before Neapolitan Mostaccioli with Dark Chocolate

A dinner from Campania, built around this dish. Change any course and the shopping list follows.

  1. Antipasto

    Pizza di scarola

    A covered Neapolitan bread pie filled with tender escarole, black olives, capers and anchovies.

    5 hr 45 min · make ahead

  2. First course

    Gnocchi alla sorrentina

    Potato gnocchi bake briefly with tomato, basil and fiordilatte, leaving soft dumplings beneath patches of melted, golden cheese.

    35 min · make ahead

  3. Main course

    Coniglio all’ischitana

    Ischia’s rabbit, browned in olive oil and gently braised with white wine, cherry tomatoes, garlic and thyme.

    1 hr 40 min

  4. Side

    Gattò di patate

    A Neapolitan potato bake with a centre of cooked ham, Salame Napoli and Caciocavallo, under a golden breadcrumb crust.

    2 hr 55 min · make ahead

  5. Dessert

    Neapolitan Mostaccioli with Dark Chocolate

    This recipe

    2 hr 55 min · make ahead

  6. What to pour

    Unsweetened coffee, tea or water accompanies the chocolate without adding another sweet element.

Campania

Campania

In Naples, set the dark diamonds beside roccocò to contrast a chocolate shell with an exposed almond ring. The regional forms matter as much as the different flavours.

The Campania guide

Shopping list

People at the table
10
On the table

To buy

Check the pantry

The story behind Neapolitan Mostaccioli with Dark Chocolate

Mostaccioli napoletani, also called mustacciuoli, bring a dark chocolate shape to the Neapolitan Christmas sweets plate. Their broad diamond outline has softened corners and a slightly raised centre. The coating follows the biscuit underneath rather than forming a thick frosting. Almond, cocoa, honey, orange and pisto give the dough a different character from a plain butter biscuit. These are the chocolate-covered Neapolitan sweets, distinct from the shaped honey biscuits of Soriano in Calabria and from the pasta shapes that share a similar name. Keeping the regional name attached matters: the word mostaccioli does not describe one uniform Italian preparation. At Christmas in Naples, the diamonds sit naturally beside almond roccocò and honey-rich susamielli. Prepare the dough, bake and coat in separate stages. A clean rack lets excess chocolate drain without leaving a thick skirt around each piece. The shape should remain readable after coating. Plain diamonds are enough for this batch; extra nuts, piped patterns or elaborate decorations are not needed to make the biscuit recognisable.

Dark-chocolate-coated mostaccioli diamonds on paper over a cooling rack

At Christmas

Neapolitan mostaccioli add dark chocolate and warm spices to the Christmas sweets plate. Prepare the dough and baked biscuits before the coating stage, then let the chocolate set before packing. They sit beside roccocò and struffoli; these are distinct from the shaped honey biscuits of Soriano.

More Christmas recipes

Cook your way around Italy

Twenty regions, one dish from each. Cook one and its region goes on your map.

0 of 20 regions cooked

Made Neapolitan Mostaccioli with Dark Chocolate? Stamp Campania.

Hand-shaped strascinati with crisp dried red peppers and coarse toasted breadcrumbs.Next stop · BasilicataStrascinati con Peperoni Cruschi1 hr 20 min

When you go to Campania

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One dish from every region

  1. Aosta ValleyFonduta Valdostana
  2. PiedmontAgnolotti del Plin Burro e Salvia
  3. LiguriaTrofie al Pesto Genovese
  4. LombardyRisotto alla Milanese
  5. Trentino-Alto AdigeCanederli in Brodo
  6. VenetoRisi e Bisi
  7. Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFrico con Patate
  8. Emilia-RomagnaTagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese
  9. TuscanyRibollita
  10. UmbriaStrangozzi al Tartufo Nero
  11. MarcheVincisgrassi
  12. LazioSpaghetti alla Carbonara
  13. AbruzzoArrosticini
  14. MoliseCavatelli al Ragù di Maiale
  15. CampaniaSpaghetti alle Vongole
  16. PugliaOrecchiette alle Cime di Rapa
  17. BasilicataStrascinati con Peperoni Cruschi
  18. CalabriaFileja alla ’Nduja
  19. SicilyPasta alla Norma
  20. SardiniaOgliastra-style culurgiones with tomato sauce

Cook next

Sources and citations (2)
  1. Mostaccioli napoletani di cioccolato
  2. Campania agroalimentare: traditional Christmas sweets

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