It seems like no matter who you’re speaking to about the subject, everyone has some Rockwellian memory of baking Christmas cookies with an older loved one as a child. These formative memories shape our traditions in adulthood, and help create the warm nostalgia of the holidays.

My favorite Christmas cookies are an old, Southern Italian recipe for chocolate clove cookies. When my family makes them, the dough is studded with chopped walnuts and candied orange peel. I would tell you what these cookies are called, but the problem is, I have no idea! My family calls them muzzette, which is a word I cannot translate, and I can’t find another recipe of the same name anywhere. Other recipes call them mostaccioli or pizzette. You can call them whatever you want, but I promise you they’re delicious!

This family recipe is so closely guarded that my mother wouldn’t even share it with me, so I found the closest replica I could here. Nothing goes better with coffee, hot cocoa, or even espresso than these spicy chocolate cookies. These are perfect for a cookie swap, because they have a rich, complex flavor that is so different from any other cookie. Leave the gingerbread men and sugar cookies to someone else this year!

-Anna, Assistant Marketing Manager- Content

If you really want to wow your guests, serve these cookies on this exclusive Polish pottery tray. They’ll still be swooning over your dish even after the food is finished!