Abbracci

...or "Hugs" in English. I prefer "Abbracci". Cream dough "abbracia" chocolate dough. Hania had the idea. I made these cookies some time ago and we always buy them when in Italy. Italians make the best cookies. They are often considered part of breakfast. They are made of simple ingredients, the taste is pleasant and delicate, perfect to dip in milk or coffee. They are never too sweet, crunchy just enough, for everybody in your family to enjoy.

I went to the cookie manufacturer site to see if they reveal their recipes. And they do! I think last time, I got the recipe from the original package. Mulino Bianco (White Mill) makes most of cookies I see in Italy.

The recipe is very simple. I didn't have to make a special trip to a store for supplies. Flour, sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and one egg...just what I had in my kitchen. You make two doughs, one light, one dark. I left them in the fridge for 30 minutes, just in case. Making the shapes was easy and fun, for Hania as well. 

These abbracci came out great. Subtle cocoa and cream taste in one cookie that is very light and delicate. Hard to eat just one.

Recipe adapted from Mulino Bianco

ingredients

cream dough
250 g (1 2/3 cups) flour
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
95 g (about 6 Tablespoons) butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
1  pinch salt

cocoa dough
250 g (1 2/3 cups) flour
120 g (1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon) sugar
100 g (7 Tablespoons) butter, room temperature
30 g (1/4 cup) cocoa
40 g (3 Tablespoons) milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
1 pinch salt

directions 
to prepare cream dough
Sift flour with baking powder and salt into a small bowl.
In a bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter with sugar for about 3 minutes on high speed.
Add cream and honey. Combine it.
Add the flour mix. Mix till a mass of dough forms, about 3 minutes. Transfer it into another bowl and put it in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

to prepare cocoa dough
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a small bowl.
In a bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter with sugar for about 3 minutes on high speed.
Add egg and milk. Combine it.
Add flour/cocoa mix. Mix till a mass of dough forms, about 3 minutes. Put it in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180 C/355 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a rolling board, roll both doughs, piece by piece, with your hands to about 1-2 cm (.5 inch) in diameter.  Cut 5 cm (2 inches) long`pieces. Connect the two different colors together, making a round shape with a whole in the middle. Overlap it by 1 cm (.5 inch) and press it gently with your finger. On one end the cocoa dough is top, on the other under.

Transfer the cookies on the baking sheets. Place them in the hot oven in the top and bottom 1/3 of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes till very slightly golden. Switch and rotate the sheets half way though baking. They are soft when taken out, but will harden while cooling. Leave them on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes to cool.