Autumn in Italy brings back so many traditions! One of the most loved and known is the “Vendemmia” - the grape harvest.
In Molise, our small region in the South of Italy, the typical Grape kind is called Tintilia, and this is exactly what I used to make Mosto Cotto. Tintilia is a DOC Grape Variety - DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata (controlled designation of origin), so it can be found specifically in our area. Even if you do not have enough grapes to make wine, Italian cookbooks have something for you! This year I decided to make these fragrant Biscuits with cooked must.
What is Mosto cotto?Mosto cotto is made by cooking the liquid that results from the whole grape pressings including seeds and skin. By cooking it, the liquid is reduced to a sweet syrup that can be used for many recipes!
The first step is to grind the almonds, as finely as you like. I like to grind mine not too fine for a rustic consistency.
Mix the almonds flour with OO flour, sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the grated lemon peel for extra flavor.
Knead all the ingredients with the cooked must. The dough should be soft to knead and the must will make it quite sticky: help yourself with parchment paper and a bit of extra flour to roll out a thin layer of dough.
The traditional shape for these biscuits is a Diamond or rhombus, but as usual, I like to have fun in the kitchen and created also some circles.
These are ready to go in the oven as they are, I promise they smell amazing at this point, but I still decided to add some extra fun and make these super tasty adding a teaspoon of my homemade cherry jam to some of my shapes and closing them with a second layer on top.
Now we are ready! 15 minutes - or less - in a heated oven (180°) and these must Biscuits are ready to be enjoyed!
My Secret: Don’t overcook them! they should be fragrant but not too dry!
What jam would you use with these?
Make the Mosto Cotto biscuits at home:
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