Then as time went on we never found them again.
After several tries I finally got the right consistency and taste and these brought back a ton of memories for me.
Soft, not too sweet chocolate cookies that looked like rocks, and yep you guessed it, that's what I called them as a kid.
They really are quite soft and spongy compared to a rock, but since they looked like one in color, that's all I knew them by.
This recipe has been made many times until I could duplicate it to memory and this is as close as I could get them to taste like the originals I remembered as a child.
One thing that I realized after several tries, the cocoa is a key ingredient for the most authentic tasting cookies.
I loved these cookies then and now and happy to make a copycat version.
The cookies are a memory etched in my mind and coming home from school eating these with a cold glass of milk or hot cocoa in the winter time just warms my heart.
They came in a clear plastic bag and had very thin icing on them and these are very similiar especially in shape, size and taste.
If you are from the Utica, New York area and loved a chocolate cake rock looking cookies, you just found a great likeness to your childhood memory.
Utica is famous for Tomato Pie, Italian Greens, Italian Lemon Ice, Pizza Fritta, Chicken Riggies, Manny's Cheesecake, Oscugnizzo Pizza, Pusties and Rosato Chocolate Cookies.
Scroll down for the recipe card, if you're not interested in the history behind this delicious cookie, and print it off.
Bakeries in Utica
My first memory was these are dark in color, a chocolate cookie with thin icing that came from a bakery in Utica, New York on Bleeker St. The cookies were light and airy, rich dark chocolate with a thinly glazed icing on top.
I have made several recipes over the years, and these came the closest ever!
They are not chocolate meatball cookies that most of us made around Christmas time.
My grandmother always made a cinnamon spice chocolate glazed cookie not to be confused with this one.
These have no spices in them, a hint of almond flavor or vanilla, a light chocolate cookie, that's is a truly decadent delight! These are NOT meatball cookies.
Molded into Shape
The cookies were in an oval-shaped form.
They also were all irregular in style, shapes, bumpy, not uniform.
I loved the lightness inside and almost spongy texture.
My grandmother, Victoria Colenzo Ferraro, always walked from our Lansing St. home and would come home with a package of these cookies from a store called Traversa on Bleeker St.
Lucky for me my brother Luke Colenzo remembered the name of this store, I just couldn't remember the name as it was so long ago back in 1960 something.
They had the best cookies I remember as a child and these are a close second for sure!
Other Bakeries
Later on, we had another bakery I remember called Rosatos that made these delicious cookies.
A little lighter in chocolate color, still similar, light and a great likeness.
After over 50 years in that memory, I decided to keep making cookies until it came close to that memory.
These brought back so many memories to friend and family, I wanted to share the recipe with you.
Not Exactly the Same
The ones my grandmother brought home were a little different.
They were almost a dark brownie color, I since then have tried some darker cocoa powder and got even closer.
If you can find the darkest cocoa powder that would be the ticket to the ones I remember in the 1960s.
These are more like the ones we find locally in Utica, to this famous bakery called Rosato.
This is a close copycat of that bakery.
Utica Has Some of the Best Italian Food and Bakeries
I always encourage everyone to visit my hometown, Utica, New York you're missing out on some great Italian authentic foods.
They are famous for Chicken Riggies, Half Moon cookies, Cannoli, Tomato Pie, Sausage and Peppers, Pizza Fritta and so much more!
I travel back home just to have their Pusties and Fried Haddock!
I really love everything about my hometown and the foods that came from there, it was a wonderful childhood and the best of times we all grew up with.
The 1960s were full of so much love, pride and family time, and even school was fun times.
Utica,, New York still has the best of the best Italian foods passed down from generation to generation.
You won't want to miss trying out the foods they're famous for at least once!
Ingredients You Will Need
- shortening mixed with melted 2 - 1-ounce squares of the unsweetened chocolate ( I use Bakers chocolate squares.) make sure they are 1 ounce each
- Dark unsweetened cocoa powder online or Hersheys unsweetened cocoa powder
- brown sugar,
- whole egg with 1 egg white,
- vanilla or almond extract I used almond,
- milk with 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar let sit to sour for 10 minutes.
- flour,
- baking powder
- baking soda
- pinch of salt
Copycat Rosato Chocolate Rock Cookies Pin for later
The Best Memories
I just love to try and recreate recipes.
This is one that flavor etched in my memories as a little girl.
The chocolate cookie is delicious, homemade and such a delightful treat.
I hope it brings back a smile and a fun time for you too.
These chocolate rock looking cookies are the best!
Try Some Of my other Copycat Recipes From my Hometown!
Chocolate Meatball Spice Cookies Grandma's Recipe
Utica Greens
Lemon Ice
Manny's Cheese Cake
Copycat O'scugnizzo Pizza
READ Tips
As I mentioned cocoa powder is a key ingredient.
If you can order dark unsweetened cocoa powder online instead of using regular unsweetened cocoa, that is a key to making darker fudgy looking cookies.
King Arthur, doe sells unsweetened SPECIAL dark, this is online or you can find dark in specialty bakery shops.
Do not overcook these cookies, or the results will be dry.
They should be a bit springy to the touch in the middle.
Copycat cookies are never exact, but these will bring back amazing memories of childhood cookies that looked like rocks in the 1960s.
Everyone loves these and I still make them often.
Hope you love these copycat Rosato chocolate rock cookies as much as we do.
chocolate cookies, copycat chocolate cookies from Utica, Rosato cookie recipe, Utica New York cookies
cookies, chocolate cookies, baking, iced chocolate cookies
italian
Yield: 18
Copycat Rosato Cookies from Upstate New York
prep time: 10 min cook time: 15 min total time: 25 mins
These are a childhood Italian cookie recipe that looks like a molded oval chocolate rock that is covered with thin icing.I grew up in the Utica New York area. This is a copycat recipe and not an original. It's as close as it gets.
ingredients:
- 1/2 cup shortening mixed with melted 2 - 1-ounce squares of the unsweetened chocolate ( I use Bakers semi or dark chocolate squares.) make sure they are 1 ounce each
- 1 tablespoon of Dark Cocoa or Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown sugar,
- 1 whole egg with 1 egg white,
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract I used almond,
- 1/2 cup milk with 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar let sit to sour for 10 minutes.
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour (depending on humidity and area the dough sometimes takes more flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder,
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients and blend together to form a thick dough. The dough will come away from the bowl when correctly blending is completed so add more flour if it seems too thin until it gets nice and thick.
- Form and mold into egg shapes with floured hands.
- Bake at 375 degrees for almost 10 minutes until middles are dry-looking. Around 10 to 12 minutes varies by the oven and where you set the racks. They will puff up and be dry in the middles. Keep an eye on them at 10 minutes.
- Cool and frost.
- For Frosting: I mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with water a little at a time, to make a thin glaze.
- Dip the top of the cookies into the glaze, it should cover the tops.
calories
170
170
fat (grams)
12
12
sat. fat (grams)
9
9
carbs (grams)
21
21
net carbs
11
11
protein (grams)
3
3
sugar (grams)
18
18
Created using The Recipes Generator
Copycat Rosato Chocolate Rock Cookies Pin for Later
Don't Miss Trying My Favorite Recipes:
Upstate New York Tomato Pie
Best Fish Fry in Upstate New York Recipe
Mom Favorite Fig Cookies
Mom's Wedding tray favorite no-bake fig cookie and recipe:
Packages of fig cookies store-bought cut in half (she would use fig newtons) You will have to judge how many you need. She made enough to feed 300 people!
Chocolate Chips melted (she would use semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Crushed walnuts
Wax paper
Cookie sheet
Directions:
Cut the cookies lengthwise in half. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave until free-flowing.
Dip each cookie into chocolate using a fork allowing the excess to drop off into the bowl.
Roll in coarsely chopped walnuts. Set on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and allow to dry. You can also freeze these for them to set quickly.
