Special cookie recipes from our book A Taste of Utica
There is going to be a wedding in the family and I’m making a cookie tray. Get ready for a series of posts detailing the delicious cookies found in our local Utica cook book.
The first recipe, so easy it was mixed, baked and iced on a week night.
Page 156, posted by Ruth
Italian Chocolate Toto – makes approximately 100 cookies
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup milk (I used cream)
- 1/2 cup oil
- 3 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 8 TBS sifted cocoa
- 5 cups flour
- 1 TBS vanilla
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a bowl, blend all the ingredients EXCEPT flour. Beat with an electric mixer, then by hand, add the flour until dough is stiff.
Roll into small balls (about 1 1/2 tsp size) and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 400 deg for 10 minutes.
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 TBS cocoa
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBS milk
- confectioners sugar – enough for desired “drizzle” consistency.
Frost, eat and enjoy….or Frost, freeze and enjoy later.
*If freezing, wrap very tightly and use within 3 weeks.
The first time I ever had an Italian cookie was at a friends house during high school years. Her mother was baking all the Italian goodies for Christmas. I eye-balled one of the chocolate cookies. It was round, about the size of a golf ball, and covered in a thin film of white glaze. It looked SO GOOD!
I bit into the cookie and was shocked by the taste. It wasn’t sweet at all. It was rich with a delicate crumb. The sweetness was from the glaze. The cookie had a slight spicy taste to it but not the chocolate I expected. It was my first experience with the local Utica Italian cookies. So much different from traditional sweet cookies but so good. These cookies have an “adult” taste to them.
The next batch: I think it might have a hint of lemon in it. Wait and see!
Wow – I’ve never tried Italian cookies but I love the idea of a cookie that isn’t overly sweet. Cannot wait to see what cookies you come up with for the wedding,
Loved reading your half marathon recap (I am a bit behind!). Not all races will be your best but still you finished with a very strong time and it was good you didn’t try and push and overdo it. Sometimes it’s better to ease up. 1:50 is uber-impressive!! 🙂
Wow those look so cute and seriously tasty!
And any recipe that makes a hundred cookies is good in my book 😛
I love cookies that aren’t too sweet. I’m excited to give these a try because they seem simple yet the look so elegant! Thanks for sharing another delicious recipe with me. I’m eating a very late lunch and enjoying your post. I hope you have a great week…stay cool!
So cute and SO easy! Definitely saving this lovely recipe as i cant think of many people that wouldnt adoorree these 🙂 Gorgeous!
[…] CNYEats A Taste of Utica Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies Special cookie recipes from our book A Taste of Utica There is going to be a wedding in the family and I'm making a cookie tray. Get ready for a series of posts detailing the delicious cookies found in our. […]
I found your posting on Foodgawker and I am glad that I did.
My mom used to make these cookies at Christmas time; however she used shortening and used white glaze.
Thank you for the recipe, it brought back great memories.
I did both glazes (chocolate and vanilla).
They were easy to make and not too sweet.
This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks again. 🙂