I think just about everyone in Upstate New York especially in the Utica, New York area, makes these cookies for Christmas and wedding trays.
These chocolate cookies have a sweet chocolate spiced flavor and a perfect fall flavored cookie.
Decorated with a delicious white homemade easy frosting, it adds just the right blanket of snowy feel to bring a feeling of winter comfort to the cookie tray.
Of course being such a popular cookie on an Italian wedding trays and local bakeries, these were referred to as meatball cookies, maybe a little a more familiar name for you.
As most kids back in the 1960s we seem to all have different names for our Italian foods in every household.
You may even have named them something different like frosted chocolate balls, spiced chocolate cookies or maybe just those chocolate chocolate chip cinnamon balls.
These cookies ended up being the most popular for my kids growing up and their favorites.
We also make 24 different kinds every year and still do along with Girl Scout Copycat Cookies and a few other favorite childhood cookies!
It doesn't matter who or what you named these, they are a must make and wonderful memory or my childhood cooking baking days at Christmas time.
This recipe is simple, just scroll down to the recipe card and print it off.
Christmas Memories
Back in the 80's when the kids were little, we began our traditions with hope that they too would carry on.
In the early 80's, when the kids were little, we began our traditions making all kinds of Christmas cookies mom and grandma made for the season with hope that they too would carry on.
Holiday Baking is the Best!
Every Christmas, each member of the family picks their favorite cookie to put on the list, this happens to be my oldest son Chad.
That's him in the picture looking straight at you. Since he was the age of four.
Chad has loved these cookies and they still remain his very favorite of all cookies.
Where Does The Time Go?
Oh and by the way, he is now in his 20's, my how time flies.
He will still ask me every year to make this cookie as if I would ever forget.
My younger son Curt loves the raspberry filled shortbread cookies.
When they were both little, we use to make Christmas cookies the whole month of October and November, and freeze them we have at least 24 different kinds.
Everyone Has a Favorite Cookie
Grandma and Mom had so many different kinds I would make them all so they could choose their favorites to remember.
Once I went back to work, there was no time to devote to that kind of baking, and of course, they soon were grown.
Now only the favorites that they really loved as children are the cookies we make every year.
Making Memories Every Year
It's amazing I realized only then when they both grew up and went out on their own, what incredible memories we shared in those days.
Those days have carried on through the years as they became adults.
Grandma's Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies Pin for later
Keeping Memories Alive in the Kitchen
Those favorite cookies, that linger in all our minds through childhood days stay with you through your whole adult life.
That's the greatest gift of all, that we all share and give to each other and you don't even know when it really happens, with food you can etch a memory of taste that lasts forever.
Even though Grandma has been gone since 1976, we still keep her memory alive making her cookies.
Cherish The Moments
How fast the time goes by, and these by far are the hardest of posts to write, tears of the happiest days and times gone by, but life goes on.
We all continue making new memories to share through our lives through the foods we share with our families and friends.
Hopefully, they will carry on traditions with their kids.
Great moments in time last forever through our cooking and sharing recipes.
Those tastes are embedded in our memories forever from our childhoods long into adulthood and that's what makes these holidays so special.
Someone else somewhere has made the same kind of memories that last forever, so this plain and simple cookie became a very special part of our Christmas baking and will for years to come.
Grandma's Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies are addicting and often Italian's called them chocolate meatballs cookies because of their dense spicy round ball shapes.
I am sure through the years these chocolate spice meatball cookies, attained many names and surely a classic keeper in the cookie making at Christmas.
Try Some of Our Other Favorite Cookies
Italian No Bake Rum BallsCherry Coconut Cookies
Chocolate fudge rolls
Jam filled bow ties
Almond Paste dipped crescent cookies
Don't Forget to Try Our Other Favorite Holiday Traditions and Recipes:
25 Favorite Cookie Recipes
Italian Christmas Eve Traditional Menu
24 Holiday Italian Cookie Recipes

Grandma's Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies
Yield: 32
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 25 M
This is a vintage chocolate spice cookie referred to meatball cookies on an Italian Wedding Tray or during the Christmas Holiday season. The cookie is iced with white thick frosting and laced with cinnamon spice.
ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 - 8-ounce package of cream cheese room temperature (softened)
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 5 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 cup of cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
instructions:
How to cook Grandma's Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add softened cream cheese.
- Add all dry ingredients and alternate with the 1 cup of evaporated milk.
- After you have blended thoroughly, fold in the 2 cups of chocolate chips and (1 cup of walnuts these are optional).
- Roll into the size of a walnut bake on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper-lined sheet at 350 degrees, for 15 minutes, cool completely.
- Frost with white icing.
- Frosting Recipe:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of shortening add evaporated milk a little at a time till easy to spread but still nice and thick, on cooled cookies.
- If you like a thin glaze just add more milk.
- You can decorate these with colored sprinkles on top of the frosting or use finely chopped nuts or coconut for a change.
Calories
129
129
Fat (grams)
15
15
Sat. Fat (grams)
9
9
Carbs (grams)
22
22
Net carbs
16
16
Sugar (grams)
27
27
Grandma's Italian Chocolate Spice Cookies Pin for later
Some More Of Our Holiday Recipe Collections:
Easter Recipes
Game Day Recipes
Best Holiday Side Dishes
Red White and Blue Recipes
Halloween Roundup
Thanksgiving Recipes
Christmas Recipes
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2009. It was edited and re-published in 2019.
These sound wonderful. I just printed out the recipe and can't wait to try em. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
ReplyDeletewonderful cookies and memories!time fly,fly,fly...
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful family story...just warms my heart. Thanks for sharing. Love the cookies...soft and firm. I would really like them.
ReplyDeleteAww .. I know what you mean. You wouldn't trade those memories for all the world, but sometimes they can make you a little melancholy. It's a bittersweet thing - thank you for sharing! And it goes without say - but I'll say it anyway - those cookies look very very delish.
ReplyDeleteThe cookies sound wonderful. And I just love how food brings back memories and connects us with your past...
ReplyDeleteWonderful memories and the cookies look amazing!
ReplyDeleteGrandma's cookies have to be good. I am baking like mad this year - as my grown-up kids expect it! My 80-year old mother still whips up a storm in the ktichen. All with the idea - of passing the traditions on. Hard to see the years go. So satisfying when you know how much they counted. I love spice cookies, spice cake, spice bread. I know I will love these.
ReplyDeleteAs always another great post, I can't blame Chad for making these his favorite.
ReplyDeleteCookie recipes are the best ones to share, they seem to have the best memories. This is a lovely cookie receipe and the story that goes with it makes it priceless. The Christmas photo is just adorable, it really made me smile out loud!Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIf we want to keep the cookies in a cookie jar, then is it best not to glace them?
ReplyDeleteWows, looks great!!! :D
ReplyDeleteThese are great! It's always wonderful to have traditions like this!
ReplyDeleteGreat story and cookies! My grandmother used to make a similar cookie (no cream cheese though) called Tortos - they are divine. I always loved the different spices with the chocolate.
ReplyDeleteSo many great cookie recipes you have! I HAVE to remember these when I start doing my cookies for my son's bake sale :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. I really love to look back on the holiday baking traditions of my family, too. My mom and I would spend days making chocolates, pies and cookies before Christmas to give as gifts and to take to our own family gatherings. Your cookies look amazing. I can't wait to try them :)
ReplyDelete@kathleen thank you I hope you enjoy them as much as we have all these years :)
ReplyDelete@alison thanks alison
@@marymoh thank you :)
@tasty trix you are right about those feelings sometimes the holidays are so hard
@andrea thanks andrea
@5star thanks
@claudia god bless your mom at 80! wow
@daydreamerdsrts chad thanks you too!
@kathyvegas glad it made you smile I miss that age too
@cheah thank you
@dollydoesdessert thank you
@tastyeatsathome thanks
@kriskishere those sound great too!
@rochelle glad you like them thank you
@chris appreciate your kind words :)
Yes Grandma's cookies are always the best! Nice to see you way back then. My kids would love these cookies. Thanks for sharing the recipe and memories!
ReplyDeleteeven though the recipe is great - it is so much better with memories...thanks for sharing this
ReplyDeleteAw, I love your memories. We also used to make cookies over a whole weekend and we are going to do it tomorrow. We don't make as many any more. Thanks for bringing up such nice memories, and a delicious cookie!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely sentimental post and, of course, the cookies look fantastic!
ReplyDeletewhat a great story....and wonderful pics! So many great things to try!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the retro photo! And the amazing looking cookies. It's like they were snowed on! VERY seasonal. :)
ReplyDeleteLegacy of love from generation to generation. Looks good. My kids will love these.
ReplyDeleteThese sound fabulous! I love the thought of the chocolate and spice combination.
ReplyDeleteLegacy of love from generation to generation. Looks good. My kids will love these.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with us. Happy holidays to you and your readers, from us at http://www.cookbook.gwjamaica.net
ReplyDeleteThese cookies look wonderful...chocolate and spice lovely combo especially with the icing.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteThese sound great I have a wedding comming up and would like to make them seeing I am doing the cookies for favors. But I have a question
I noticed there are no eggs is this correct?
Thank You
Gail
@ Anonymous: nope no eggs...that is correct
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking for a recipe like this for years. My husband's grandmother made something like this and I've been trying to recreate the cookies he remembers. Thanks for sharing your family memory and hopefully letting my husband enjoy his memories as well!
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh, 24 kinds of cookies??? I thought I was crazy, LOL. But such delicious memories you've made for your boys and now your grandchildren!
ReplyDeleteWell if it is grandma's recipe it just has to be delicious. That is what I thought about my baba's cooking. My grandson always tells me "you are a good cooker gramma"! I would love these with my morning coffee.
ReplyDeleteI love having holiday memories like that and I'm positive that each of my siblings and I have favorites from our childhood. I like your idea of freezing batches of dough ahead of time int he fall months to be ready for December so there's less work! These cookies look tasty and would be perfect with a mug of cocoa!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great family recipe! The memories from recipes like this are priceless
ReplyDeleteSo true , they grow up so fast. My mom always complained that we grew so fast but I do the same. I feel the kids are really growing so fast. Love the memories we make and I'm sure the kids will treasure them as they go out. These sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteSpicy cookies are a must at Christmas. It seems like Southern Italians were more into the cookies and cakes than the Northern Italians although we did have our desserts. My sweet MIL was German and she baked cookies like nobody's business. She made a pepper cookie and some fantastic spice cookies too. I'll have to make these - I really like adding to my cookie collection
ReplyDeleteLove your memories, reminds me of my holidays as a child, house filled with wonderful flavors. These cookies looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteLove this spice cookies, I like cream cheese addition along with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg for me these are spices for holidays. Yes keeping memories alive is always best. Now I know why your son like this cookies they indeed delicious.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas traditions. Your family favorite cookie making is fantastic! These cookies are so good and I need to give them a go with my youngest! She and I bake together every week. it is my turn to pick the baking ingredient and I will make these!
ReplyDeleteDear Claudia, what a sweet post. These cookies look and sound delightful...what a beautiful way to keep the spirit of the holidays. You are so right, the kitchen is the best place to keep memories alive. XO
ReplyDeleteThese cookies scream christmas if you ask me :) I love how flavorful these look. And super soft and just delicious. I'm saving this recipe for sure. My kiddo will be very happy when I make him these.
ReplyDeleteFamily recipes are the best. My nana always made "crickets" for Christmas, but they seem more Halloweeny since she told me they were real crickets in them! She's a funny lady. Anyways, wonderful recipe and thanks for the memories :)
ReplyDeleteI love holiday spice cookies but haven't made them for years. Thank you for sharing your memories and reminding me that I need to make these cookies this year.
ReplyDelete