CHRISTMAS ALMOND CANTUCCI
Some call them tozzetti, others Tuscan cantucci or cantucci di Prato — whatever the name, cantucci are the most famous little cookies of the Tuscan tradition: dry biscuits made with flour, butter, eggs and almonds.
Their unmistakable feature is the shape obtained by slicing a loaf of dough just out of the oven into small slices and then giving them a second short bake to get the right crunch.
Of course, the best way to enjoy them is with a glass of vin santo, but they are so good that any occasion is perfect for nibbling one.
After trying many recipes I finally believe I found the perfect one.
Besides the fact that the result is truly exceptional, what won me over was its simplicity; moreover it uses baking soda (easier to find) instead of baking ammonia for pastries without altering the typical cantucci texture.
Finally that light orange aroma brings back the feeling of Christmas and makes them perfect to finish a meal in style or to give as a sweet gift to relatives and friends.
Try them yourself and you’ll see they will become a regular entry in your personal home recipe book.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 50 cantucci
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 210.78 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 34.24 (g) of which sugars 13.47 (g)
- Proteins 6.60 (g)
- Fat 6.52 (g) of which saturated 0.84 (g)of which unsaturated 5.26 (g)
- Fibers 1.96 (g)
- Sodium 144.43 (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
- cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups whole almonds
- 3 eggs (large)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- orange zest
- salt (a pinch)
Steps
Put the whole eggs, the sugar, a pinch of salt and the orange zest into a bowl.
Beat the mixture with an electric mixer or a stand mixer.
It should become pale and frothy.At this point add the flour previously sifted together with the baking soda and fold in with a spatula so as not to deflate the mixture.
Finally add the almonds and fold them into the dough using the spatula.Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, divide it into 3 equal parts and shape each part into a log of about 10.6 oz (≈0.66 lb).
Gently flatten the logs on the surface and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 365°F for about 18 minutes.After the time is up, take the baking sheet out of the oven and, being careful not to burn yourself, transfer the logs to a cutting board and slice them with a knife (they should be about 5/8 inch thick).
When you have sliced all the cantucci, place them back on the baking sheet on their side and bake a second time at 365°F — static oven — for about 3–4 minutes.After these minutes, take them out briefly to turn all the cantucci to the other side and put them back in the oven to toast for another 3–4 minutes.
Now your cantucci are finally ready: remove them from the oven and let them cool on a rack before enjoying them with a good glass of vin santo.
STORAGE
To store the cantucci use a tin box or an airtight plastic bag; they will remain crunchy for a few weeks
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