“As a kid I spent Christmases tearing around my grandmother’s house, rattling dish cabinets and nerves, fists full of green-tinted, crumb-trailing buttery spritz cookies,” says Chris Morocco. “Cookies were my grandma’s version of a Christmas bonus: doled out to, or withheld from, family and friends. Even after she passed away, nobody dared mess with her recipes, least of all the pizzette, an Italian classic with fudgy texture, piercing bittersweet chocolate, almonds, citrus zest, and a heady undertone of cinnamon and clove. But perhaps a bit dry? A touch too much clove? My first attempt at an overhaul fell flat and I scrapped it, fearing angry Nonna vibes. But this year I didn’t hold back. I made the dough more like brownie batter, used butter instead of oil, and took out the coffee. Buttery, rich, and balanced…who could be mad about that?”
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 20
Ingredients
Cookies
Glaze and assembly
Preparation
Cookies
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened in color and fragrant, 7–10 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 375°.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes to infuse.
Step 3
Whisk granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Pour in spiced butter, scraping pan so you don’t leave any spices behind, and whisk vigorously to combine. Add egg and egg yolk; whisk vigorously to combine. Mix in dry ingredients, then almonds, chocolate chips, lemon zest, and orange zest. Turn out onto a clean surface. Divide in half, then roll each half into a log about 1½" wide. Flatten logs to 2" wide and slice on a diagonal into 1"-wide cookies. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 1" apart.
Step 4
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until firm around edges but still soft in the middle, 8–10 minutes. Let cool.
Glaze and assembly
Step 5
Melt chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, or melt in a small microwave-safe bowl in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between bursts. Add powdered sugar, salt, and 2 Tbsp. boiling water and whisk until glaze is smooth and glossy.
Step 6
Dip tops of cookies into glaze and let sit, glaze side up, on a wire rack until glaze is set, about 2 hours.
Step 7
Do ahead: Pizzettes can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 month.
