Chocolate Almond Cookies with Chocolate Glaze (Italian Pizzettes)

An Italian classic with fudgy texture, piercing bittersweet chocolate, almonds, citrus zest, and a heady undertone of cinnamon and clove. But perhaps a bit dry? A touch too much clove? My first attempt at an overhaul fell flat and I scrapped it, fearing angry Nonna vibes. But this year I didn't hold back. I made the dough more like brownie batter, used butter instead of oil, and took out the coffee. Buttery, rich, and balanced, who could be mad about that?"

Cookies:
¾ cup raw almonds, skin-on
1½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (188 g)
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
4 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1 heaping cup)
1 tsp. lemon zest, finely grated
1 tsp. orange zest, finely grated

Glaze and Assembly:
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 tsp. unsalted butter
⅔ cup confectioners' sugar (75 g)
pinch kosher salt

Make the Cookies:
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened in colour and fragrant, 7-10 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes to infuse.

Whisk granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Pour in spiced butter, scraping pan so you don't leave any spices behind, and whisk vigorously to combine. Add egg and egg yolk; whisk vigorously to combine. Mix in dry ingredients, then almonds, chocolate chips, lemon zest, and orange zest. Turn out onto a clean surface. Divide in half, then roll each half into a log about 1½" wide. Flatten logs to 2" wide and slice on a diagonal into 1" wide cookies. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 1" apart.

Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until firm around edges but still soft in the middle, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

For the Glaze and Assembly:
Melt chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, or melt in a small microwave-safe bowl in a microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between bursts. Add powdered sugar, salt, and 2 Tbsp. boiling water and whisk until glaze is smooth and glossy.

Dip tops of cookies into glaze and let sit, glaze side up, on a wire rack until glaze is set, about 2 hours.

Makes 20.

Make-Ahead: Pizzettes can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 month.