Italian Cantucci

The Italian biscotti

Italians again. They are a very important influence in Sao Paulo, but not all Italians are created equal.

Every region has it’s special food and we have it plenty: pizza from Naples, panettone from Milan, last but not least pasta and cantucci from everywhere.

Slightly dry, sweet and filled with almonds with a crunch.

They were made to be dunked in vin santo (a sweet wine), call it heresy if you want, but I’d dunk them just as easy in a espresso.

Another not so fine aspect of cantucci is that here they are very expensive.

That would not do: It is a very easy recipe with simple ingredients to cost so much.

Here, let me show you:

Starting the dough

It is a extremely stick dough.

I’m using the dough attachment of my food processor, but a the flat beater of a stand mixer work just as well or better.

Mix the sugar, flour, baking powder and orange zest together and pusle a few times.

Add one egg at a time and then the juice of the orange and finally the vanilla essence

Finally add the almonds and work the dough a little by mixing it on low.

Let’s bake it

Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper¹

Dump the dough trying to shape 3 logs of it.

Try to space the logs well the dough spreads while baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cooling and Slicing

Halfway done.

Let it cool a little and cut it in thin slices.

Use a sharp knife: dull knifes might dislodge the almonds instead of slicing them, second almonds sliced clean look so gorgeous on the final cantucci

Bake it, bake it

Did I mention that biscotto means twice baked?

It might have slipped.

Arrange the slices on the baking sheet again and back to the over for more 10 to 15 minutes.

Done

Let it cool on a rack and store it in airtight containers.

For the cost of 1 100g bag of cantucci I’ve made between 6 and 7 bags of it.

Home made and better tasting than most.

Before you ask, I’ll be having mine with an espresso, thank you.