Region or state Naples | Place of origin Italy | |
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Alternative names Mustaccioli, Mostaccuoli Main ingredients Flour, almonds, chocolate, sugar, cloves, coffee, olive oil Similar Struffoli, Mostaccioli, Cartellate, Taralli, Zeppole | ||
Mustacciuoli (also known as mustaccioli or mostaccioli) are traditional pastries from Naples, usually served at Christmas time.
Contents
Features
Mustaccioli take the form of a rhomboid. They are about 10-12 cm, although the size can vary and another common size is about 6 cm. They are covered with a chocolate glaze, while the interior is characterized by a soft taste of honey and candied fruit.
Background
The name "mustaccioli" is related to the use of must in the old country recipes (mostacea was the Latin name), with which they were prepared to be more gentle. The mostaccioli Neapolitans are reported by Bartolomeo Scappi, personal cook of Pius V, in his lunch alli XVIII of October [1]
Neapolitans
Mustaccioli Neapolitans, despite bearing the same name on which many regional Italian desserts are based, must not look like any of these.
In recent years, they were born many variations of mostaccioli, where the chocolate glaze is replaced by a white chocolate frosting or icing sugar and candied fruit. These sweets are loved especially by the children to their Neapolitan recipe that combines honey and chocolate.
Mustaccioli are often sold along with Roccocò, but also to raffiuoli and susamielli, and together with struffoli are the sweets of the Neapolitan Christmas.