Cantucci

Cantucci, also known as Prato biscuits, are a traditional delicious Tuscan dessert. Typically they are served with Vin Santo, but they are also excellent paired with coffee or other dessert wines.

Here is the recipe for making classic cantucci:

Ingredients

• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 200 g of sugar
• 2 whole eggs + 1 yolk
• 200 g of almonds with skin
• 1 pinch of salt
• Grated zest of a lemon or orange (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour with sugar, a pinch of salt, and the baking powder.
3. Add the whole eggs (two) and one yolk to the bowl and the lemon or orange zest if you want a citrus touch.
4. Work the ingredients until you get a homogeneous mixture.
5. Incorporate the whole almonds into the mixture.
6. On a pastry board, form the dough into two or three long, flat loaves, about 5 cm wide.
7. Place the loaves on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove the loaves from the oven and, while still warm, cut them diagonally into slices about 2 cm thick to form the cantucci.
9. Arrange the sliced biscuits on the tray and put back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes to brown and dry them, turning halfway through cooking.

After baking, let the cantucci cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Curiosity

The traditional recipe for cantucci calls for almonds, but today you can find variations with chocolate, dried fruit, or candied fruit. Also, some replace part of the flour with almond flour for a more intense flavor.