Flattened Milanese-style cocoa loaves made with plain biscuit crumbs, figs, raisins and almonds, finished with powdered sugar.
Pan dei Morti Cookies
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 150 minutes: 40 hands-on, 20 chilling or resting, 50 whole-batch cooking and 40 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale or US measures
- Food processor or sealed bag and rolling pin for crumbs
- Mixing bowl and sturdy spatula
- Two parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Cooling rack
- Small sieve
Flattened Milanese-style cocoa loaves made with plain biscuit crumbs, figs, raisins and almonds, finished with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Prepare the crumb base
- 1Prepare the crumb baseCrush the specified plain tea biscuits to fine crumbs, not coarse chunks. Mix with flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in almonds, finely chopped figs and soft raisins. The compound biscuit ingredient is measured as purchased; use unfilled plain vanilla biscuits rather than chocolate-coated or cream-filled cookies.
Hydrate the dough
- 2Hydrate the doughLoosen egg whites with a fork without making meringue. Stir them and the measured wine into the crumb mixture until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms. Cover and rest 20 minutes at room temperature so the biscuit crumbs absorb liquid. Do not taste the raw egg mixture.
Shape flattened loaves
- 3Shape flattened loavesHeat the oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional or 325°F (163°C) fan. Divide dough into 20 pieces of about 47 g. Shape each into an elongated oval about 3 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick, tapering the ends slightly. Arrange ten on each of two lined large sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake all the loaves
- 4Bake all the loavesBake one sheet at a time for 22–25 minutes, allowing 50 minutes for both. The outside should be dry and the center fully set, with no wet batter in a split sample. Keep the loaves tender inside rather than drying them into biscotti. They are baked directly on parchment; this formula does not use an edible wafer base.
Cool and dust
- 5Cool and dustRest on each sheet for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Dust the cold tops with the measured powdered sugar. They can be eaten once cold; a day's storage softens the crumb, but no two-day room-temperature curing is required.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
The crumb ingredient must be fine enough to hydrate evenly; large hard biscuit chunks remain gritty.
Technique & texture
Soft dried fruit works without a soaking-water ingredient or uncontrolled extra moisture.
Finishing & serving
Use the same type and brand of tea biscuit each time because its sugar and fat affect the resulting dough.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 2 days | Keep fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool place. |
| Refrigerator | Up to 5 days | Store airtight because the fruit-rich centers retain moisture. |
| Freezer | Up to 1 month, undusted | Freeze baked cold cookies; add powdered sugar after thawing. |
| Make ahead | Up to 1 day | Refrigerate covered raw dough and shape before baking. |
| Serving | After thawing | Thaw covered in the refrigerator and let a serving reach room temperature before dusting. |
Notes
- The crumb ingredient must be fine enough to hydrate evenly; large hard biscuit chunks remain gritty. Soft dried fruit works without a soaking-water ingredient or uncontrolled extra moisture. Use the same type and brand of tea biscuit each time because its sugar and fat affect the resulting dough. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 20; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these bread rolls?
Despite the name, this formula makes small dense cocoa-and-fruit cookies shaped like flattened loaves.
Can I use an arbitrary assortment of leftover cookies?
That changes sweetness, fat and absorption. This formula specifies plain unfilled vanilla tea biscuits for reproducibility.
Do they need a wafer underneath?
Some published versions use an edible wafer. This home formula bakes directly on parchment and excludes wafer from both the ingredients and appearance.
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