Mastaccioli..a wonderful chocolate spice cookie

Childhood memories.  We love to relive them.  When we think of our childhood, it takes us back to a time when things were simple.  At least that is how we remember it.  Some people relive their childhood by buying toys and memorabilia of things they enjoyed as a child.  My husband, for example, loves to collect toys and things that remind him of his childhood.  For example in the home office that we share staring at me at this very moment is a two-foot statue of Scooby Doo, and on top of his head is a water buffalo hat.  What is a water buffalo hat you ask?  Some of you probably already know.  It is from the cartoon The Flintstones.  Fred and Barney belong to the Loyal Order of the Water Buffalo.  We we have a life-size version of it.  It is torquoise blue and furry with horns sticking out of it.  For the life of me, I cannot image why anyone would want such a thing, but if it makes my husband happy then okay...I guess.  Anyway, I, thankfully, do not try to relive my childhood through toys.   I seem to do it through food.  I have such great memories that involve food.  I think we all do.  These cookies... oh these cookies!   They remind me of each holiday when my grandmother would be baking for days.  Her dining room table would be covered with rows and rows of cookies.  This cookie was one of them.  It is a personal favorite of mine.  It is really difficult to describe.  There are so many delicious flavors going on in it.  You will just have to try it yourself to see what I mean.  It is just chock full of goodness.  I hope you enjoy it.   Okay, I am going to play with my Malibu Barbie now..LOL..okay so I do like toys too!   Well, she did come with her own towel.  I totally just dated myself.   I am working on my about-me page.  I am trying to find a good picture of myself.  That is not any easy task.  I smile like a dork in pictures.  I will keep looking. 

Here are some pictures to help with the recipe.  Recipe is at the end.

To frost the cookies, dunk the tops into the icing.


Mastaccioli

4 1/2 cups of flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
3 teaspoons of allspice
1/2 cup of  unsweetened cocoa
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of oil
1/2 cup of molasses
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts
1 cup of raisins (optional) (I do not use them)
Note:  The dough will be easier to handle if you refrigerate for, at least, an hour.

For the icing:
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1 box of confectioner's sugar (about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
A pinch of salt
1 cup of milk (heated until warm).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets.  I use cooking spray.  This makes a lot of cookies (about seven dozen)..so get out all of your cookie sheets.  

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, using a mixer, mix together the eggs and the sugar.  Add the oil, molasses, and milk.  Mix well.  Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix well.  Then add the chocolate chips, walnuts, and raisins (if you are using them).  Mix well.  Note:  if you omit the nuts, add another 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.  At this point, if you have time, refrigerate the dough for, at least, an hour.  This will just help rolling the cookies because the dough is sticky.  Either way, you will have to flour your hands.  Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, flouring your hands every so often.  Place on greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.  If you lift up the bottoms with a spatula, they should be light golden brown.  Then you will know they are done.  But 12 minutes is exactly the time it takes for mine.   Allow to cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheets and then remove them to a cooling rack.

For the icing:  In a small saucepan, heat the milk until warm.  In a large mixing bowl, place the cocoa, confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt (I know salt sounds strange, but that is what my grandmother says..so have faith).  Gradually add the warm milk about a teaspoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the icing becomes the texture of cake batter.  Dunk the cooled cookies into the icing by submerging the tops in the icing.  Allow the excess to drip off and then place on wax paper to allow the icing to dry.   Enjoy!