My great aunt used to make these and when she passed away, the recipe was lost. I found this on the internet about 10 years ago, and it was very close. I haven't made them in a while since my guys have nut allergies, but my dad asked for them this year.
After looking at similar recipes I figured out the missing ingredient is the black pepper. It gives the cookies a little depth and heat. I also recommend grating the other spices fresh, it makes a big difference. Making these brings back lots of good memories for me!
Italian Chocolate Totos
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 black pepper
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 sticks butter -- softened
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
For Chocolate Frosting:
- 2oz unsweetened chocolate
- 1 tablespoon butter -- softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup hot milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift 3 cups flour twice. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cocoa.
- Cream 1 cup butter or margarine; blend into flour mixture. Add 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and nuts.
- Mix thoroughly with hands until well blended. (Dough should be the consistency of pie crust, but not sticky.)
- For each cookie, pinch off about 1 teaspoon dough. Roll by hands into balls, each about one-inch in diameter. Place on greased baking sheets. Do not flatten.
- Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets; cool on racks.
- When cool, drizzle each generously with chocolate frosting. Sprinkle with crushed nuts.
To make Chocolate Frosting:
- Melt the chocolate squares over low heat. Cream with 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 cups of confectioner's sugar. Gradually add hot milk, beating until smooth.
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