Tuscan almond cantucci, grandmother’s recipe for the original cantucci — the perfect Christmas sweets. These fragrant cookies suitable for both breakfast and dessert are a classic of Tuscan cuisine, like Panpepato di Terni, Panforte di Siena, Ricciarelli, Pan di Ramerino or savory Schiacciata fiorentina. Their appearance is very similar to egg white and almond cookies, while their rustic, homely flavor reminds me of our Reginella cookies and even more the famous Piparelle messinesi. Cantucci with almonds are known throughout Italy and around the world. You can find packaged ones in any supermarket or shop in Italy, but if you’ve tasted the real ones produced by Tuscan bakers, you certainly won’t find the same flavor in any industrial package and you’ll decide to track down the recipe to make them at home. These delicious cookies are characterized by a simple, rustic taste and are therefore often served with a sweet, strong liqueur, just like San Martino biscuits, which complement their flavor: Vin Santo. So let’s go to the kitchen, get our hands in the dough and bake the original Tuscan almond cantucci. If you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.
Also take a look at this almond dessert recipe:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: about 4.4 lb
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the original Tuscan almond cantucci
- 8 cups 00 flour (Italian type 00 / all-purpose flour)
- 3 cups Sugar
- 8 Eggs
- pinch Salt
- 3 cups Almonds
- 7 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 packets Vanillin (vanilla powder)
- Vegetable oil (Only to grease the work surface)
- to taste egg (beaten, for finishing)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup Milk
Tools to make the cantucci
- Baking sheet
- Oven
- Work surface
- Knife
- Bench scraper (metal)
Preparation of Tuscan almond cantucci
To make the almond cantucci, start by making a well with the flour, salt and vanillin; pour the sugar into the center and add the eggs. Mix the eggs with the sugar so the sugar dissolves completely before incorporating it into the flour. Begin to combine the dough — it will be rather soft, sticky and a bit difficult to work with.
Once the dough is ready, add the almonds and help yourself with a bench scraper to detach it from the work surface and incorporate them fully.
With the help of a greased work surface and greased hands, shape logs about 5–6 cm thick (about 2–2.4 in — roughly 2 to 2 3/8 inches). Don’t forget to brush the beaten egg over the surface of the logs before baking them at 356°F (180°C) for 15–20 minutes.
Remove the logs from the oven and slice them while still warm into slices about 1.5 cm wide (about 5/8 in) up to a maximum of 2 cm (about 3/4 in). Arrange the slices neatly on a baking sheet and bake again at 212°F (100°C) for 40 minutes, turning them halfway through the time.
Once toasted and browned (you can raise the temperature a bit if needed), your cantucci will be ready to enjoy on their own or accompanied by a good sweet wine.
Notes and tips
If you prefer very hard, traditional-style biscuits, replace the butter with 100 g of egg yolks (about 3.5 oz) and use a teaspoon of baking soda instead of baking powder.
Store the Tuscan cantucci in a tin box and consume them within a short time before they lose their characteristic crunch.
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