Italian
Aunt Mary’s Muzzette Cookies
Aunt Mary’s Muzzette Cookies are crisp, twice-baked Italian biscotti filled with toasted nuts and warm vanilla. Made with optional anise, these simple cookies carry the flavor of childhood, family, and home.
- Shared by Edward Varipapa
- 10 minutes
- 30 minutes + ~30 minute toasting
- 24-30 cookies
Memories Behind the Meal
- WHO TAUGHT THIS RECIPE
Aunt Mary Mazzacane
- WHEN IT WAS MADE
Saturday nights, around the card table in Hamden, Connecticut.
- WHY IT MATTERS
These cookies marked the end of dinner and the start of the evening when stories were told, cards were shuffled, and another generation quietly learned what family looked like.
A MESSAGE FROM THE FAMILY
“Recipes are meant to be shared, but memories must be protected.”
Shared by Edward Varipapa
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts or almonds
- Optional (Recommended): 1½–2 teaspoons anise extract
- Pinch of salt
How to Make It
STEP BY STEP
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Toast the hazelnuts (if using) and allow them to cool before chopping.
- Prepare the Dough
- Cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and, if making the anise version, the anise extract.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk together:
- Salt
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in the chopped hazelnuts or almonds until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together:
- Shape and Bake
- This is a soft and sticky dough. To help with shaping refrigerate for 20 minutes and then proceed.
- Lightly flour your hands and work surface.
- Shape the dough into one large loaf approximately 12 inches long, 3 inches wide, and about ¾ inch thick, or divide the dough into two shorter loaves if that better fits your baking sheet.
- If the dough feels too soft or sticky to handle, refrigerate it for 15–20 minutes before shaping. Chilling the dough makes it much easier to work with and helps the loaves hold their shape while baking.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 30 minutes, or until the loaves are lightly golden and firm to the touch.
- Allow them to cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing.
- Slice
- Using a serrated knife, slice the loaves diagonally into cookies approximately ½-inch thick. Don’t worry if a few crumbs fall away. That’s part of homemade Italian biscotti.
- Toast (Second Bake)
- Lay each cookie on its side and return them to the oven.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes on the first side.
- Carefully turn each cookie over and continue baking for an additional 12–15 minutes on the opposite side.
* Every oven bakes a little differently, so use these times as a guide. If you prefer a lighter, slightly softer cookie, reduce the second bake slightly. For a darker, crunchier biscotti that’s perfect for dipping into coffee or tea, allow them to toast a few minutes longer while watching carefully to prevent over-browning. The cookies will continue to crisp as they cool.
Bakers Notes From Aunt Mary
- Toasting the hazelnuts before adding them to the dough gives the cookies a richer, deeper flavor.
- Aunt Mary often made several variations:
- Hazelnut
- Chocolate
- Anise (Edward’s favorite)
- These cookies actually improve after a day or two.
- Store in an airtight cookie tin or container for up to three weeks.
- Like many traditional Italian biscotti, they’re at their very best dipped into hot coffee, espresso, tea, or even a cold glass of milk.