Roccoco Cookies

The heavenly aroma of warm spices and almond will fill your house while these cookies bake in the oven! Roccoco cookies are classically very hard and crunchy, but this take is a bit more delicate with a light chew. The ring shape is very classic to southern Italian cookies, known as “taralli”. 

Roccoco cookies are traditionally dunked into Vin Santo or Marsala wine, but we think these are perfect enjoyed with espresso.

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup mild honey, such as chestnut or citrus
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 cup all purpose flour, such as Petra
• 3/4 cup almond flour, firmly packed
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until pale, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, honey and egg. Beat again for 1 minute. Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the sliced almonds and stir to evenly disperse through the dough.
3. Turn the mixture onto a very lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 5 inch rope. Form each rope into a circle and place 7 to 8 cookies on each of the prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake until the cookies are puffed and develop a golden brown color, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on the trays for at least 10 minutes before eating. The cookies will get more crisp as they cool.