Ossi dei Morti {Bones of the Dead Cookies}

Ossi dei Morti means bones of the dead in Italian. This might sound a little creepy but I assure you these “bones of the dead” are not. They are actually little crunchy snow-capped bites of deliciousness that have a beautiful significance behind them.

On November 1st and 2nd Italians {and many others} celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Known to some as the Day of the Dead. Instead of being a solemn day, it is instead a day filled with LOVE. A celebration for all of their family members that have passed. A day of honor, a day of tradition and respect. A day to remember. And remember they do. Filling the cemeteries with beautiful flowers and even picnics. You knew there was going to be food involved didn’t you ; )

Ossi dei Morti {or bones of the dead in Italian} are a part of this celebration. They are named not only for the day they are eaten but because of their shape, coloring and texture, which is indeed similar to a bone. A “bone” of the delicious sort that is ; )

They are biscotti like in that they have a crunchy {powdered sugar dusted} exterior. Making them perfect to dunk into your espresso or even dessert wine {ah, vin santo}. They are filled with almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves which will almost hypnotize you as those smells waft from the oven. I simply HAVE to eat one straight out of the oven {I’m weak and impatient LOL} They’re soft and very chewy straight out of the oven but once you’ve tasted their deliciousness and set them aside to cool they magically transform into this crunchy exterior. They get better each day {if you’re lucky enough to have any leftover} and store beautifully in an airtight container or tin.

What you’ll need:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 lemon – zested
1 egg white
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds – ground
1 teaspoon ground cloves
powdered sugar – to dust

What to do:
1. Into the bowl of your stand mixer, add butter and mix until it is creamy. Add sugar, lemon zest, egg white and continue mixing.

2. Into a separate bowl add: flour, cinnamon, almonds, and cloves. Whisk together. GRADUALLY add in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl until a ball has formed. Add a tablespoon or two of lukewarm water if necessary to help form a ball. Wrap your dough in plastic and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 20 – 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Onto a lightly floured surface, take small portions of the dough and roll into ropes that are approximately the size of your finger. Cut into 2 – 3″ sections. Continue until all dough has been rolled and cut. Transfer pieces to a cookie sheet lined with a SILPAT or other silicon mat. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Store uneaten cookies in an airtight container.

 
Recipe Source: http://www.bellalimento.com/2010/11/02/ossi-dei-morti-bones-of-the-dead-cookies/