Mostaccioli Calabresi | Calabrian Honey Cookies

These traditional Calabrian cookies are made with flour, honey, and a little bit of seasoning—that's it!

You can make very simple "S"-shapes for an easy cookie, or you can mould the dough into complex patterns like the Calabrian cookie artisans who make mostaccioli in Soriano. Get creative!

There are NO correct amounts of any ingredient. This recipe is very simple but must be done by eye, feel and taste!

Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:

For this recipe, you will need:

All-purpose flour
Honey
Cinnamon
Ground cloves

Pour flour into a large mixing bowl. The amount is totally up to you, but we maybe recommend starting with about 2 cups (250g). Season the flour with cinnamon and cloves, but be aware that you can always add more.

Next, add some honey and begin mixing it in by hand. You want to add just enough to make a firm dough that is only slightly tacky, not sticky. Don't worry if you add too much, you can always balance it out by dusting with more flour at any point! Taste it as you go and add more cinnamon and/or cloves if you wish.

When a rough dough forms in the bowl, transfer it to a clean work surface and knead until it is very uniform. Dust with more flour if it's sticky.

Preheat an oven to 340 degrees F (170 C).

Cut a manageable piece of the dough off and roll it with your hands into a long snake, about a finger's width in diameter. Trim it as needed and make an "S" shape, then place the cookie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough is assembled into cookies.

Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden. Because the dough is largely made of honey, be aware that the cookies become very hard when they cool down. We recommend eating them hot, or warming them again briefly in the microwave right before eating them. They have a tremendously long shelf-life and can be kept in an airtight container for a long time.