My inspiration this week is by the contemporary sculptor, Jeff Koons. His sculpture Moustache (2003) is from the Serpentine Gallery show Popeye Series which encompasses many of the common themes in his work: consumerism, childhood, taste, and banality. The use of inflatable toys has appeared in his sculpture dating back to the late 1970s.(1) One of his most famous works, Rabbit (1986), is an inflated bunny made of stainless steel playing with the perceived notions of weight and density. Labeled as part of the Neo-Pop movement, Koons broke the auction record for a living artist when his Hanging Heart sold at Sotheby’s New York for $23.6 million.(2)
The Italian mostaccioli cookie is a chocolate spiced cookie that is enjoyed all over Italy but is thought to have originated from Umbria.(3) Traditionally the cookies are made from grape must which acted as both the sweetener and the liquid binding for the dough.(4) The grape must variant derived from an old Latin cake called mustacea which was also the origin of the name of the cookie. Throughout my research I have found several ways to form the dough ranging from sliced slabs, to round patties. The more elaborate cookies demanded a chocolate frosting rather than chocolate chips but it was the s-shaped cookies made into a moustache that caught my attention!(5) The name mostaccioli appears to also refer to a small tubular pasta that translates to “small moustaches”.(6)
Mostaccioli (a.k.a. Moustache) Cookies
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup vanilla sugar
2 TB butter
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 tsp pink peppercorns
1 TB orange zest
1 egg
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond slivers
Mix the flour, vanilla sugar, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl. Blend in the butter with your fingers and then mix in the remaining ingredients. Place the dough in a cool place for 1 hour to rest.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the cookies after forming them into a S-shape. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350°F/180°C until golden brown.
13 comments
Karen says:
Jul 21, 2009
Is this the artist who displayed the same star-shaped inflatable pool we bought from Target? I love his moustache sculpture and the cookies – and seeing your quirky moustache cup used as a prop. So fun!
Belle@Ooh, Look says:
Jul 21, 2009
The sculpture is so cool. And your cookie looks just like it, only tastier!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:
Jul 21, 2009
Ah very cool! I love modern art so I#39;m excited to see what else you have coming up :) These are very cool-have you thought about making these for Movember? :P
Siri says:
Jul 21, 2009
Hilarious shape. I#39;ve had chocolate and cheese with pink peppercorns, but never a cookie. Now there#39;s a thought…
hungry dog says:
Jul 21, 2009
These are so cute! How perfect to have that mug to go with…
Julie says:
Jul 21, 2009
The picture of you with the mustache cookie in front of your face reminds me of Wilson from the quot;Home Improvementquot; series – it is hilarious! You are very clever.
dessert girl says:
Jul 21, 2009
Oh, my gosh!!! I love these!! And I#39;m not talking about just a little tiny bit of love…I love these A LOT! Gotta make them.
Heavenly Housewife says:
Jul 21, 2009
this is just adorable!
Y says:
Jul 22, 2009
Hehehe those are awesome, and I love the mug in the background!
liz {zested} says:
Jul 22, 2009
What a fun post!
pablopabla says:
Jul 23, 2009
This will be a real hit with the kids! Cookies and fun :D
Medusa Oblongata says:
Aug 17, 2009
I made these last night…they are AWESOME!!! I left out the orange zest, though, as that#39;s about the only taste on earth I can#39;t stand. I threw in a dash of lemon juice for the acidity instead, and they came out fabulous! They have a nice, spicy, spiky taste, very unique. It#39;s a nice break from all the syrupy, sugary American-style desserts I lean towards. And I took your cue with the moustache cup and had some of the cookies with a stiff cup of coffee this morning, got my mojo working for sure!!!
Kahlo’s Shellfish Ceviche »Feasting on Art says:
Jan 11, 2010
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