Quaresimali are alphabet cookies from Florence, Italy.  Their name derives from the fact that they were originally a Lenten cookie, for quaresma or the 40 days of lent. They are traditionally made with alphabet cutters.  From: Williams Sonoma Savoring Tuscany

It isn’t easy to find a nice recipe for a hard, crisp chocolate cookie and this certainly fits the bill.  They work just as well made into other shapes than traditional letters.

Ingredients:                   

1. ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp.
2. ¾ cup sugar
3. 1 egg
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 1 ¼ cups flour
6. ½ teaspoon grated orange zest
7. ½ teaspoon salt
8. ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter & sugar until creamy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Stir in flour, orange zest, salt, & cocoa until well combined.
3. Form into two balls and roll between 2 pieces of wax paper about ¼”

Chill for an hour. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper 

1. After chilling the dough, continue to roll to 1/8” thickness.
2. Dust with flour and cut with alphabet cutters or with cutters of your choice.
3. Take scraps and make a ball, roll out as before and chill.  In this manner, use up all the dough.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes. Transfer to rack.

Yield:  2 dozen cookies