These ossa dei morti, or bones of the dead cookies (Ossa di Morto), are crunchy Italian almond cookies traditionally eaten on November 2nd, All Souls' Day, the day right after All Saints' Day.
If you love Italian holiday baking, you will also want to try my Pan dei Morti (Bread of the Dead Cookies), Sicilian S Cookies, and Sicilian Pignolata.
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If you google this holiday in Italy, you will come across all sorts of getaway holiday offers for this long weekend. There is probably more excitement to be off from school and maybe work than to realize why these days are really a holiday.
What Is All Souls' Day (Giorno dei Morti)?
All Souls' Day is a day to visit the cemetery, bring flowers, and tend the graves of family who have passed, sometimes spending hours there in remembrance. In Italy, November 1st and 2nd together are called the ponte, or bridge, between All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, when schools and many businesses close.
November 1st, All Saints' Day, honors a long list of saints, more than 20 in the Catholic calendar, including well-known names like St. Valentine and lesser-known ones specific to different regions. You can see the full list of saints celebrated that day here.
Does Italy Celebrate Halloween?
Not traditionally. Halloween has become more popular with kids and even adults in Italy in recent years, but this time of year has historically been a solemn, reflective one, centered on remembering family rather than costumes or candy.
What Are These Cookies Called Around Italy?
Ossa di Morto can be found at bakeries only during the All Souls' Day season, and the name and recipe both change depending on where you are in Italy. A friend who recently moved here from the Abruzzo region told me she had never seen this cookie where she grew up, which does not mean it does not exist there, just that it may not be made in every town.
- Sicily: made with cloves, with dough traditionally rested 1 to 3 days before baking. Some parts of Sicily call them scardellini, and some dip them in chocolate.
- Tuscany: called ossi di morto, traditionally served with Vin Santo.
- Veneto: made with white wine, baking soda, and potato starch, a common ingredient in Italian baking.
- Lombardy: called ossa da mordere (oss de mord in dialect).
- Campania (Naples): known as torrone dei morti.
- Emilia-Romagna: called le fave dei morti, related to the fava bean cookies (fave dolci) found in several regions, tied to an old association between fava beans and death in Italian tradition.
There is even a New Orleans bakery in Little Italy famous for a cookie called Skidelina, likely a spelling variation of scardellini, brought over by Sicilian immigrants.
Why Are They Called Bones of the Dead?
Ossa di Morto, or ossa dei morti in the plural, literally means bones of the dead. The cookies are rolled long and thin, and piled together they really do look like a stack of bones, a little macabre, but delicious. I have never told my kids the literal translation, they would probably run rather than think it was cool.
Ingredient Notes
- No leavening agent - this version skips yeast or baking powder entirely, which is part of what makes these so hard and crisp.
- Almonds - ground fine, the base flavor of the cookie. Hazelnuts work in some regional versions too.
- All-purpose and whole wheat flour - I use a mix of both, though all-purpose alone works fine if that is what you have.
- Lemon zest, cinnamon, and cloves - the warm spices that flavor the dough.
- Nocino - an Italian liqueur made from unripe walnuts, from Emilia-Romagna. White wine or even water work if you do not have it.
How to Make Bones of the Dead Cookies
- Grind the almonds, if not already ground.
- Cream the butter, sugar, egg white, and vanilla together.
- Combine the flour, ground almonds, lemon zest, and spices in a separate bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, along with the Nocino or other liqueur.
- Chill the dough for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a long rope.
- Cut each rope into sections about 3 inches long, and arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets with space in between.
- Bake until the edges just turn golden, then dust with confectioner's sugar once cooled.
This makes about 3 trays of 12 cookies, 36 total. Every cookie comes out a little different in shape, which honestly makes them look even more bone-like.
Recipe Tips
- Warn people before they bite in. These are very crunchy, more hard and crisp than a typical biscotto, not chewy.
- Whole wheat flour is optional. Feel free to use all-purpose flour only if that is what you have on hand.
- No Nocino on hand? White wine or even water work fine in its place.
- Great for dunking. These cookies are perfect dipped in coffee, espresso, or a glass of wine.
More Posts Like This
- Sicilian Pignolata (Italian Honey Balls)
- Pan dei Morti (Bread of the Dead Cookies)
- Sicilian S Cookies
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BONES OF THE DEAD COOKIES-OSSA DI MORTO
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg white lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup ground almonds
- grated zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teasoon of ground cloves
- 1-2 Tablespoons Nocino or another Italian liqueur, white wine or even water
- confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Line 3 cookie sheets with a parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add in the egg white mixed with the vanilla and beat on medium speed for a minute or two until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, grated lemon zest and spices.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined, stopping the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl and combine all the flour.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of the Nocino (or other liqueur or water). Add in more 1 teaspoon at a time if needed until the dough is combined (but not too wet).
- Remove the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let chill for about 30-45 minutes. While dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Lightly flour a clean counter or a pastry board. Cut the dough into 4 parts. Roll the first part of dough into a rope that is about 18 inches long. Cut the rope into two parts. Cut the first section into cookies that are about 3 inches long and about ½ inch thick. Line them up with some space between them on a the first baking tray. Press down a little on the cookie. Continue the process with the other parts of the dough.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden brown. Dust with confectioner's sugar.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Texture: these are meant to be hard and crisp, not chewy, closer to a bone than a typical cookie.
- Flour: all-purpose flour alone works fine if you would rather skip the whole wheat.
- Storage: airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 2 months.
- Nutrition: is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Nutrition
FAQ'S
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they keep well for about 2 weeks, their hard, crisp texture actually helps them last.
Yes, freeze baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes, some regional versions use hazelnuts in place of almonds, or a mix of both.
This version is intentionally made without a leavening agent, which is part of what gives these cookies their signature hard, crisp texture, closer to a bone than a typical soft cookie.
Bones of dead cookies love this. I am going to make a big batch again.
I tried making these Ossa di Morto cookies for the first time, and they turned out so crisp and full of traditional spice flavor. They are incredible for dipping into a hot cup of coffee or sweet wine.
They were such a fun and spooky treat for Halloween!
I had so much fun making these Ossa di Morto cookies! The almond, lemon, cinnamon, and clove flavors created a deliciously fragrant combination, and the cookies had the traditional hard, crisp texture they’re known for.
I really enjoyed making these Italian Bones of the Dead cookies. They were simple to prepare, and I loved the combination of ground almonds, lemon zest, cinnamon, and cloves.
Love these cookies! So light and simple to make.
Hi Emma-So happy you enjoyed these cookies...they're very special! XX
This recipe did not work for me. Are you sure you didn't forget some other liquid ingredient? The sugar butter mixture had the consistency of sand then after I added the other ingredients it looked like breadcrumbs. Then it took 7 tablespoons of liqueur to get it to form a not too wet dough. After chilling the dough and trying to roll it out it just cracked (because it was too dry) and wouldn't roll out. I'm going to try to salvage this with milk or something because I don't want to waste all the effort and ingredients I used. I'll let you know what happens.
Hi Rocky I have made the cookies so many times over the years, just as the recipe is written. No, I didn't omit any other liquid and I do mention you may need to add more liquer or even water until the dough combines (making sure not to make it too wet).
I'm not sure exactly why you needed so much liqueur and why it wouldn't roll out. So many factors can effect the texture of the dough. I hope you were able to salvage the dough and enjoy the cookies. They are definitely a crunchy cookie (as opposed to the crackle cookies I see you recently made). Let me know how it turned out!
My Sicilian great uncle made these cookies. They were light and lemony. Relatives told us that the cookies were placed in the shoes worn by those who have passed on.
Hi David-That is lovely to know your great uncle made these and that they were lemony. Thank you for sharing your memory of these special cookies!
I am looking for a Sicilian cookie recipe that my grandmother used to make maybe you can help me my nonna made them at Christmas one of the cookies were shaped like an S but was twisted with an almond,honey and chocolate filling . The other is shaped and fill like a ravioli and is filled with dried ground chic peas almond and honey
Hi Kathy-I think the "S" cookie could be like our cuccidati (here is the link: https://www.savoringitaly.com/cuccidati-sicilian-fig-cookies/ )...not sure if you saw it here before. It's a Christmas cookie in Sicily that goes by different names (could have been called by your nonna nucatoli) and even shapes. But if you don't remember your nonna adding, figs than it's something else. And the chick pea cookie you mean is maybe the calzoncelli dolci or calzoni di ceci...did she fry them?
These sound delicious and I love all the background info!
What an interesting post! I didn't know they do Day of the Dead in Italy. I just got back Spain and I'm wondering if we missed it there (if they do it, too) by just a few days. 🙁
And these cookies look great!
I had no idea they celebrated Day of the Dead in Italy. What a wonderful tradition and these cookies are worth a celebration, too!
We also make these wonderful cookies! Our traditions are soooo similar - probably because the Orthodox Church and Catholic Church were one in the same many centuries ago. :)))
Wonderful post about italy's traditions. We hope to visit one day soon. These cookies are awesome. So good to see you using the Recipe Generator. I hope you share these at Dishing It & Digging it. The party is live every Sunday 4:00 EST.
I'd eat these ALL year long!!!
It's been years since I've had these! My grandfather used to make them when I was a little girl!
I had no idea about this Italian tradition, but I love it. I am hoping to one day make it to Italy to find where my family came from. It would be amazing to find my family's grave plot.
These cookies look wonderful!
Great for dunking in caffe! These look wonderful! My cousins in Italy have a bakery, and they do now make many Halloween cookies.
Love these! I cannot wait to try them!