Cantuccini oh how I love thee!!!! it has happened on countless occasions that I walk over to the kitchen for just one and end up making a few more trips. I intentionally do not keep these too close for fear of temptation which I seem to give in to more than I should.
It saddens me to see some cafes selling these twice baked italian almond cookies at prices that would make your wallets weep if you knew how much you would save by just making these on your own.
I could try to entice you by emphasizing that almonds are good for you, or sneak in the fact that these tasty treats don’t have as much sugar as you think but there’s only so much I can say to get you to give this a try.
Dunk and scoop your ice cream with it, dip it in your coffee or other indulgence and they will fit right in
This is a simple cantuccini recipe. In fact, so simple, that If you take them out and they aren’t done then you can just pop them back in until they are. I’m a sucker for almonds, now mix those with oranges which I also love and there is no reason I shouldn’t stick around.
They are crunchy if made right- I mean they are TWICE baked for a reason, and that orange scent that escapes with every bite is absolutely worth it.
They keep well so can be wrapped up as a gift and don’t be afraid to try out other recipes like the pistachio cantuccini
Troubleshooting your cantuccini
I put too much flour and more eggs than I should
Your cantuccini will taste floury and dry.
Not enough orange zest
Oranges make this Italian biscotti sing. So splurge or the orange flavor will act more like a tease and that’s not what you want. The orange and almond are both of high importance to the recipe
Hesitate during the cutting:
When I did this, the cantuccini crumbled. Be firm but gentle and certain of yourself as you slice through. Use a serrated knife and hold the bar of cantuccini firmly as you cut through but don’t press the knife down to separate, instead use the same motions as you would while slicing bread- so think of it as a loaf of bread 🙂
Storage
Keep them in an airtight container once completely cooled, this helps them retain the crunch and avoid that limp stale texture we all hate!
Please give the almond cantuccini recipe a thumbs up below.
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Cantuccini
(+15 rating, 3 votes)
Loading...Cantuccini are double baked extra crunchy Italian almond biscotti for the perfect gift or a delightful coffee accompaniment for those unexpected drop in's.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 167g sugar
- 1 tbsp Marsala wine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 3 oranges
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 30g unsalted cold butter
- 150g raw almonds (with skin)
- 1 egg yolk for glazing
Instructions
Preheat oven to 190°C
Rub the sugar with the orange zest for a few minutes, then add in the eggs and salt, whisk before pouring in the marsala (optional) and vanilla extract
In another bowl mix flour and baking powder (do not sieve) and add this to the egg mixture incorporating well
Finally, add in the butter and bring together with your hands, knead it into the dough
Pour in the almonds and knead, tip the dough onto your working surface tucking in the almonds.
Portion the dough into two equal amounts and roll each one into a long log. Lightly wet your hands and press onto the log to flatten it to about 1.5 cm in height
Place each one on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. They should both measure a length of 27 cm by 6 cm in width
Leave ample space between the rolls because the dough will spread a little as it bakes
Lightly glaze the dough with egg yolk and leave to bake for 20 min, rotate the baking trays halfway through
Remove the biscotti from the oven and let them cool for 10-15 min.
Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 1.5 cm thick biscotti and arrange them horizontally on the baking sheet
Reduce heat to 175°C
Put them back in the oven (bottom rack) to bake for about 15 min or until golden (rotate the pan and flip the biscotti halfway through baking)
Remove them from the oven and leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container
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