Mostaccioli: Spiced Christmas Cookies

A handful of Italian regions—Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, and Puglia among them—lay claim to a spiced Christmas cookie that goes by the name mostaccioli (pronounced ‘moh-stah-CHO-lee’). Versions of the cookie can be traced to ancient Rome, and it remains one of the most popular holiday cookies in Italy.

While the recipes vary in ingredients, as well a…