Sicilian Glazed Cookies: the recipe of the delicious cocoa biscuits typical of Sicily

Here we present a recipe for some delicious glazed biscuits typical of Sicilian pastry, especially of the city of Catania. They are prepared with a dough made of flour, granulated sugar, butter, bitter cocoa powder and spices and, once cooked, they are covered with some orange marmalade and melted dark chocolate and finally garnished with powdered pistachios.

Fun fact: it seems that these Sicilian biscuits were made for the first time by the Sicilian people to celebrate the special coin, containing copper, introduced following the unification of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Very simple, incredibly aromatic and very greedy. Try them as soon as you can.

How to prepare the Sicilian Glazed Biscuits

In a bowl, mix the flour with the bitter cocoa powder; add the baker’s ammonia (or baking powder) for desserts, granulated sugar, powdered cinnamon, cloves and grated orange zest and only after all this the honey (1).

Add the butter in chunks and finally the milk (2), starting to mix with a spoon.

As soon as the flour has absorbed the liquids, transfer the dough to a work surface and continue to work with your hands (3), until you will have obtained a soft and homogeneous dough.

Obtain some balls the size of walnuts and gradually transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure to place them quite spaced apart (4). Bake the Sicilian Halloween biscuits in a static oven at 180 degrees C for about 25-28 minutes.

After the cooking time will be elapsed, take the Sicilian biscuits out of the oven and let them cool perfectly. Heat the orange marmalade for a few seconds in the microwave oven and brush it on their surface (5).

Melt the dark chocolate in a saucepan in a bain-marie (6).

Arrange the biscuits on a wire rack for cakes and cover them by pouring the dark chocolate with a spoon (7).

Decorate with powdered pistachios and let them firm up perfectly (8).

Transfer the biscuits to a serving dish and serve (9).

How to store 

Sicilian Glazed Cookies can be preserved for 2-3 days under a glass bell jar or closed in a special airtight container. Freezing is not recommended.