20 Days of Christmas Cookies- Day 4

Meatball cookies are actually a chocolate spice cookie that goes by many names, Italian Meatball cookies, Chocolate Meatballs, and my favorite, Meatball cookies.

Each name still contains the same essential ingredients of basic cookie dough with cocoa powder and assorted spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. You should, at the minimum, add chocolate chips.

When I make mine, I use only chocolate chips. Most recipes will have the addition of walnuts and sometimes raisins. The problem with adding walnuts and raisins is that you need to worry about food allergies to nuts and grapes, so to avoid that, I mostly use chocolate chips only.

Scouring the internet for the history of these cookies, came up with a big fat nothing.

I did find that it is an Italian staple on Christmas cookie trays and is a prized Christmas food gift provided the cookie passes the taste test from the Italian cookie judges in your circle. Someone even gave the reckoning that the meatball cookie is to Christmas what the turkey is to Thanksgiving.

So understand this is serious business. This recipe will pass the taste test, is simple and easy to make, and will become a family favorite.

Please notice in the ingredient list that I only use organic, good-quality cacao and spices. The quality of your ingredients, regardless if they are fresh, frozen, or dried, matters. It will always affect the taste if you buy cheap, bargain-basement ingredients. 

Start building your pantry staples with good quality certified organic spices, and you will taste the difference immediately.

I also use a cookie scoop for all my drop cookies. It’s so much easier to rock a batch out using a cookie scoop over your hands or two spoons. 

I highly recommend buying this cookie scoop set. It will give you 3 sizes to make all 3 different sized cookies based on your preference. They also work wonderfully for scooping cake batter into muffin pans for cupcakes.

Meatball Cookie Recipe Ingredients

2 TBSP milk

½ prepared Basic Cookie Dough

⅓ heaping cup good quality cacao powder

1 ½ tsp Saigon cinnamon

1 ½ tsp ground cloves

1 ½ tsp ground allspice

1 ½ tsp ground nutmeg

¾ cup of good quality chocolate chips

⅓ cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

¼ cup of raisins (optional)

Meatball Cookie Recipe Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

½ pound good quality chocolate broken into pieces

3 TBSP shortening

Meatball Cookie Recipe Confectionary Glaze Ingredients

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 TBSP water

Meatball Cookie Recipe Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

2. In a small bowl, mix the cacao, and spices together

3. Using a heavy-duty stand mixer, or by hand, add the cacao mixture to the prepared basic cookie dough.

4. Add the milk, 1 TBSP at a time, and mix completely until the dough is no longer sticky and at earlobe consistency.

5. Add the good quality chocolate chips and mix until they are completely blended.

6. Add the chopped walnuts and /or raisins if you are using them.

7. Using your greased medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto an 11x15 inch cookie/jelly roll pan

8. Roll each cookie between your hands to smooth out.

9. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or just until set.

10. Slightly loosen the cookies using a small thin spatula, and let them cool completely.

11. Dip the cooled cookies in either a confectionary or chocolate glaze.

To make the chocolate glaze

Melt the chocolate and shortening together in a double boiler on low heat, stirring constantly just until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

To make the confectionary glaze

Mix the powdered sugar with 1 TBSP of water. Add additional water as needed to reach a nice glaze consistency.