Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1 1/3 cup almond flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

5 tsp allspice

3/4 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

The zest and the juice from one large orange

1/2 cup water or milk, room temperature (more if needed, see tips)

1 shot of Strega liquor (or rum)

3 TBSPs honey

For the filling (see tips):

Nutella

Pistachio butter

Fruit preserves

For the topping:

Chocolate (dark, milk or white)

Directions:

Sift flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl.

Add almond flour and sugar.

Stir with a spoon.

Add allspice, salt, baking powder, orange zest and stir.

Now add the liquids and continue to stir.

Turn mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until a soft dough is formed.

Dough should not be sticky nor should it be so dry that it won’t come together.

Please adjust recipe as needed with more water if too dry or more flour if too sticky.

Shape dough into a ball and wrap with film.

Rest dough in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, gather your favorite fillings and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 365F.

Place rested dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Cut in half.

Roll the first half into a rectangle about a 1/4” thick.

Cut strips about 3” wide.

Now make diagonal cuts so that you are left with diamond-shaped pieces of dough.

Place one dough diamond onto the prepared baking sheet.

Place a generous teaspoon of your favorite filling in the center.

Moisten the seams and place a second diamond onto top.

Seal seams well by pressing with fingertips.

Continue until all dough is used, including the trimmings (see tips).

Bake in preheated oven for 12-13 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to totally cool.

Melt your favorite chocolate flavor (I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips) in microwave or on a double boiler.

Cover each cooled mustacciolo with chocolate on both sides.

Allow chocolate to dry before serving.

Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.

TIPS:

Many things can affect dough texture so please adjust recipe as needed to achieve perfect consistency (not sticky but not dry and crumbly either).

You can use any filling you prefer for this recipe. I used pistachio butter for some, Nutella for others, and orange marmalade for the last few. Get creative but be careful that the filling consistency is not too thin because it will leak out. Same with topping. Use any chocolate you prefer or cover each filling with a particular chocolate flavor to distinguish between them.

Use the dough trimmings by gathering them together and kneading them into a new ball. Roll out and cut new diamonds until all dough is gone.