These are typical Italian biscuits which are baked all year around, although most associate them with the Christmas season. The original recipe is from Prato, a town in the Tuscany region.
They are usually dipped into a nice glass of vin santo. Personally, I love them also with Marsala o Passito wines.
This is my version of the Cantucci. I hope you will enjoy them too 🙂
Ingredients
- 500 gwhite spelt flour (or white flour type 0)
- 375light muscovado brown sugar
- 250roasted almonds
- 35 gbutter
- 4eggs
- 1 spoonhoney
- 1orange (zest only)
- 1/2 teaspoonbaking powder
Preparation
– melt the butter at room temperature;
roast the almonds into the oven (200 degrees for about 3/4 minutes) and allow them to cool down to room temperature;
– open the eggs onto a large bowl and whisk them together with the sugar, the honey and the grated orange zest;
– add the melted butter and mix well till you get a smooth paste;
– sift the flour and the baking powder onto the above obtained cream and mix well;
– add the roasted almonds and mix well;
– transfer the dough on a working shelf and knead well till you get a smooth dough;
– shape the dough into the shape of a cylinder with about 2cm thickness (if it won’t fit in your oven you can shape 2 distinct cylinders);
– place it onto a flat baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes;
– remove the tray from oven and allow to cool down;
– wait till the baked cylinder will reach a room temperature which would allow you to work it with your hands;
– take a sharp knife and cut diagonal slices of about 2cm width;
– put the thus obtained biscuits back onto a flat baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 5 minutes;
turn the biscuits on the other side and bake again for another 5 minutes;
the biscuits are now ready and roasted on both side;
allow to cool down completley, then enjoy them with a nice glass of Italian Vin Santo, Marsala or Passito