The idea of replacing Balsamic with mosto cotto can be more common than you think. It can be a tricky substitute if you are not familiar with the term or taste Saba.

It is very sweet, with a concentrated grape flavor and can often fool those foodies in search of a sweet and concentrated taste in Balsamico. In Italy mosto cotto is also known as sapa and can be replaced in some dishes in place of Balsamico.

Its origin is connected with the ancient Greeks in southern Italy, who began cooking grape juice and using it as a sweetener.  Once reduced in large kettles to a volume of two-thirds the original volume, it is carenum; and half the original volume, defrutum; and one-third, sapa or Saba.

In fact mostaccioli cookies were made with flour and mosto cotto.

500 Gr. 00 Flour
300 Gr. mosto cotto
100 Gr Toasted almonds
1 Knob butter
Anise liqueur as required

The flour onto the pastry board, add some liqueur and the mosto cotto: work the ingredients together until you obtain a dough similar to bread dough. Chop the almonds in a processor, and add to the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out a layer 1.5 cm thick and cut out the mostaccioli rhomboidal shape, that is the classic shape of mostaccioli biscuit. Use a baking tray greased with butter and cook in the oven at a temperature of 150°C and once cooked remove from oven and leave them to cool.