Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies are spicy balls made with walnuts, mini chocolate chips, cocoa, and orange flavoring. These Christmas cookies aren’t overly sweet. Instead, the sweetness comes from the chocolate orange glaze and rainbow sprinkles. The treats are so popular you’ll find them on cookie trays for every special occasion.
Chocolate Toto – an Italian cookie by many names
Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies by any other name still taste as good. Many know them as Dudu’s or Tetú’s. If you ask for Meatball Cookies, they’ll know what you mean.
Inquire about an Italian Christmas Cookie recipe, and you’ll get directions for Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies. Ask for Ball cookies? You’ll get the same. Chocolate Wedding Cookies? Ditto.
Every nonna and mamma will swear that theirs is the only traditional recipe. It doesn’t matter. They all taste delicious.
It’s a Chocolate Christmas
But before I continue with these holiday cookies I have to tell you about our #GlobalFoodies. Our group wants to share a Chocolate Christmas with our wonderful readers.
We’ve put together some wonderful chocolate recipes for you to try and they’re all delicious!
Check out the links below — you won’t be disappointed!!
After all, doesn’t chocolate pop into your head when you think of Christmas? 🎄
Italian Toto – Black Pepper and Chocolate Cookie
Germany has a tiny spice cookie, Pfeffernüsse, that is a lot like Toto. They both have pepper in the ingredients as well as a gingerbread aroma and taste. The German biscuit, though, does not have cocoa or walnuts in it.
Mamma didn’t make cookies. Our Christmas treats were fritole, strucolo, or pan dolce. Desserts were for special occasions only.
Helen, my mother-in-law, was a human cookie factory. She would start her cookie baking right after Thanksgiving and not quit until the week before Christmas. She wouldn’t see or hear from “friends” all year long, but they did show up at her doorstep after all the cookies were made. 😋
Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies — quick and easy holiday cookie
I thought that the Christmas cookies would be hard to handle, but I was wrong. The dough is not sticky, and it’s easy to roll out.
Forming the balls is a breeze! Honey and I were able to get four dozen made in no time. Once they cooled, we dipped the spicy cookies in a chocolate orange flavored glaze. The flavoring I used was Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur Flour.
I put Fiori di Sicilia in my pinza. The aroma and taste is a combination of vanilla and orange. It’s fantastic in any sweet bread or cookie recipe that calls for either vanilla or orange.
This Christmas include Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies on your dessert tray and prepare yourself for heaps of compliments!
Be sure to try out the other delicious chocolate goodies that our #GlobalFoodies made.
Butterscotch Chocolate Pecan Squares — (Veena – Veena Azmanov)
Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies — (Arlene – Flour on My Face)
Boozy Bourbon Chocolate Fudge — (Gloria – Homemade & Yummy)
Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies — (Marisa Franca- All Our Way)
Chocolate Christmas Tree Mousse Cups — (Denise – My Life Cook Book)
Chocolate and Cranberry Snickerdoodles — (Helen – Fuss Free Flavor)
Snickerdoodle Truffles — (Michelle – Honest and Truly)
I’m going to make every one!! 💝😋
Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
Note: Recipes and content from @2017 All Our Way are copyright protected. Please do not use content or recipe without prior written permission. If you want to share the information, please link to this post. Grazie.
Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies |Traditional Christmas Treat
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups 406.25 grams All-Purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups 300 grams sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup 21.5 grams unsweetened cocoa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper not too coarsely ground
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup 153.75 grams solid vegetable shortening
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup 122-162 2/3 grams milk
- 1 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia Orange and Vanilla flavoring
- 2/3 cup 78 grams chopped walnuts
- 1 cup -- grams mini-chocolate chips
- GLAZE:
- 1 1/2 cups 180 grams confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 1 Heaping Tablespoon of Cocoa
- 3 to 3 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- Colored sprinkles for decorating
- 1 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia flavoring orange and vanilla flavor
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Lightly spray parchment paper and place on cookie sheets.
- Sift all the dry ingredients together on to wax paper. Repeat this several times to thoroughly combine the ingredients -- I did it 4 times.
- Put the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Add the shortening. Pulse the processor several times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (You may do this by hand but it's quick and easy with the processor.
- Combine the Fiori di Sicilia with 1/2 cup of milk.
- Pour the dry ingredient mixture into a large bowl. Add the chopped nuts and chcolate chips and stir to combine.
- Add the milk to the dry ingredients and work it in with your hands until it is well blended. If it seems too dry add the additional milk until the dough holds together but isn't sticky.
- On non-stick silpat or a wooden board knead the dough a few times. Then cut into four equal parts. Roll each piece into a long rope. Cut that rope into 12 even pieces. Make a ball out of each piece and then put the ball on the parchment paper.
- Place 1 inch apart on the paper. Continue with each rope.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are firm.
- While the cookies are cooling make the glaze.
- Sift the Confectioners' sugar and cocoa several times until both are combined. Put the mixture in a bowl and add the 3 Tablespoons milk and the flavoring. Beat until smooth. Add additional milk if necessary to make a thin frosting.
- Once the cookies are cool, dip the tops into the icing, place on racks that are over wax paper (to catch the drips), and sprinkle with the colored spinkles.
- Let the frosting dry completely before layering the cookies between wax/parchment paper. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week or can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
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April says
Walnuts, cocoa and orange flavoring – all of these mix together so well! A fantastic recipe for this Christmas and something I would want to give a try to!
Veena Azmanov says
These sound so incredible Marisa. I love how simple they are to make. Best of all I love the name – toto cookies. I bet they were gone in an instant.
Pavani says
Your Italian toto cookies look so festive and delicious. My chocolate and sprinkle loving daughter will LOVE these.
Claudia Lamascolo says
These are a perfect blend of spices and work so well on the holiday cookie tray. My son loves cinnamon and spice cookies so I know he would flip over these . They really look delicous. I think I will surprise him with these. Thanks Marisa
Denise says
These sounds like the perfect cookie to take to my cookie swap. Every year we try to make something different and I’ve never seen anyone make a spicy orange cookie. And I know what a good cook you are so they have to be delicious!
Jolina says
Cookies are one of my favourite things about Christmas 🙂 So many new cookie flavours to discover! I can’t want to make these. Can I sub butter for the shortening?
Gloria says
I have never had these cookies. I LOVE the name, and they look delicious. It is fun trying different Christmas foods from around the world. I will have to give this recipe a try. You can never have too many cookies this time of year.
Deborah says
Oh Marissa, these look splendid. Love the sprinkles, too. Makes them so colorful and festive. Thanks for sharing.
Jen says
What a sophisticated little cookie. I love the addition of the spices, it makes these cookies special. I can’t wait to make them.
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
The hints of clove and cinnamon are wonderful! I also love the orange in the chocolate glaze- a perfect cookie for a holiday platter!
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Thank you Marisa for linking up with us at the #BloggingGrandmothers End of the Year Link Party 2018! Party ends January 5, links are unlimited so feel free to add more!
Noel Lizotte says
Christmas cookies are one of the best things about the season! These look so delicious, I’m sure a plate of them is emptied in a hurry!
Jyothi (Jo) says
These looks perfect for the holiday season. I love that there is black pepper in the cookies, never tried using black pepper in cookie recipe. They sound delicious and i’m saving this recipe
Donna says
Ooh I love the freshly ground black pepper in there, it would give the cookies just that little bit of a kick. Delicious, especially when paired with the sweetness of the chocolate and the earthiness of the walnuts! These sound delicious, and are getting me super excited to start my couple weeks of cookie baking!