CHOCOLATE TOZZETTI – CANTUCCI WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS
What are tozzetti? TOZZETTI are very crunchy bite-sized cookies typical of central Italy that resemble the famous TUSCAN CANTUCCI in appearance.
There are many variations: with DRIED FRUIT, with ALMONDS, with WALNUTS or HAZELNUTS, and I could go on.
The recipe I want to present today is the TOZZETTI with CHOCOLATE CHIPS that I tasted in Rome and immediately fell in love with.
You will create crisp but not rock-hard cookies that keep well, without butter, easy to prepare and perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a sweet pause.
If you like crunchy sweets I also recommend trying homemade ALMOND BRITTLE.
But if you don’t like a crunchy texture and prefer a softer tozzetto, that’s no problem — simply avoid prolonging the toasting phase too much.
Packaged properly, they also make a lovely homemade gift for friends and acquaintances who will surely appreciate them.
So let’s get to work and I’ll explain how to make Tozzetti — perfect even as a Christmas gift! And for other homemade COOKIE recipes, also see the:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 30 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 230.81 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 43.06 (g) of which sugars 22.32 (g)
- Proteins 5.81 (g)
- Fat 5.01 (g) of which saturated 1.49 (g)of which unsaturated 0.77 (g)
- Fibers 0.62 (g)
- Sodium 104.73 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 60 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/6 cups (approx. 9.5 oz) All-purpose flour
- cup (approx. 5.6 oz) Granulated sugar
- cup (approx. 4.2 oz) Dark chocolate chips (or dried fruit or dried plums if preferred)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- pinch Salt
- grated orange zest (optional)
Preparation
Place the sugar, eggs, a pinch of salt and the grated zest of one orange in a bowl and mix everything with a fork or a whisk for a few seconds. Add the flour sifted together with the baking powder and mix with a spoon.
Add the chocolate chips or the substitute ingredient you chose (dried fruit, chopped dried plums, etc.). It is important that you keep the same total amount of about 2/3 cup (approx. 4.2 oz). Fold everything together with a spatula or spoon. If the dough seems too soft you can add 1 tablespoon of flour but no more.
Divide the dough into two equal parts of about 11 oz each. Shape two logs, one for each portion of dough. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced apart. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 18 minutes.
SECOND BAKING – TOASTING
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, without removing the logs (otherwise they’d break), cut them diagonally into slices about 5/8 inch thick and place them on the baking sheet on one of their cut sides. Return to the oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 4 minutes. Remove them and turn each slice over, then bake once more for another 4 minutes. This will toast both sides of the Tozzetti. Take them out of the oven but do not move them because while still warm they are slightly soft. Once completely cooled they will reach the right crunchy texture. At that point you can remove them from the tray.
Notes
STORAGE FOR CHOCOLATE TOZZETTI
You can store them in glass jars or airtight bags for 20–25 days, so you can prepare them well in advance.
TIPS
BAKING AMOUNT: You can safely replace the baking powder with an equal amount of baker’s ammonia (baker’s ammonia/ammonium carbonate), which will give the cookies an even crisper texture.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: You can customize this recipe with additions or variations. For example, replace the dark chocolate chips with dried apricots, dried plums or dried figs, or make a mix of dried fruit and nuts. The important thing is that the total quantity remains about 2/3 cup (approx. 4.2 oz).
PRESENTATION IDEAS: If you want to make your cantucci a sweet and appreciated gift, simply place them in small transparent bags and tie them with colored ribbons.
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