Cantuccini Toscani - Almond Biscotti

These cantuccini Toscani, filled with almonds and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, are a take on the wonderful crunchy Italian treat. 

Cantuccini (or cantucci for a slightly larger version) is the true name for what we think of as biscotti. All Italian cookies are called biscotti (twice-baked biscuits), but these are the "official" twice-baked cookies that originated in the small town of Prato in Tuscany. 

Because they are baked twice, they are super crunchy and will last for several weeks if stored in an air tight container.

Packages of biscotti are ubiquitous in most U.S. coffee shop chain stores. You can find several flavors, including those filled with dried fruit or flavored with chocolate. They are wonderful dipped in coffee or tea. 

However, from what I understand, in Italy, they are most often on dessert menus served with Vin Santo, an Italian sweet wine. 

Mr. Kitchen, who is used to something always in the oven in this house, even made a comment about how good the house smelled when these were baking. The combination of cinnamon and almond is amazing.

This is my first attempt at making biscotti, and all I can say is, "wow." If you make these, you'll never buy biscotti again. I like the fact that they are smaller and thinner than the biscotti you typically find in coffee houses. Way better for dunking!

Ingredients for Cantuccini Toscani:

Flour - I used unbleached all purpose flour.

Granulated sugar

Baking powder

Cinnamon

Salt

Almonds - you can use blanched or unblanched almonds.

Eggs

Pure vanilla extract

How to Make Cantuccini:

These cantuccini are easily made by hand. 

First, combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the egg and vanilla together in another bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and knead everything together by hand. 

After that, you will shape the dough into two logs, about 12 inches long and then press the logs down onto baking sheets so that the middle is two inches high and the ends are about one inch high, kind of crescent shaped. 

Bake the dough for 30 minutes and then remove it from the oven to cool. Then, cut the baked crescents into 1/4 inch slices and bake again for an additional 15 minutes. 

Finally, let cool completely on the pan. 

Alternatively, you can do the first bake in advance and slice and bake the cookies (the second bake) the next day. You can even do the first bake a few days in advance. How convenient is that?

How to Store Cantuccini:

These cantuccini will keep up to a month in an airtight container. I do not recommend storing them in plastic bags or they will soften over time. You want them to stay crispy. 

This week, the From Our Dinner Table group is celebrating our favorite cookbooks. While choosing a single favorite cookbook for me is next to impossible, I decided to share a recipe from the book Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America's Best Bakers. The book is edited by one of my favorite cookbook authors, Dorie Greenspan, and features recipes from Julia Child's PBS Series, Baking with Julia.

Each show featured one of 27 top bakers, most of whom are pioneers in their craft. The book was published in 1996 and is still in print. It's essentially an encyclopedia of baking. 

This show and chapter featured Nick Malgieri, another favorite baker. In fact, I have all of his books too.

Be sure to read more about the rest of the group's favorite cookbooks:

Cookbook Recipes

• Cantuccini Toscani from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Canapes from Family Around the Table
• Ladyfinger Ice Cream Cake (Temple de Glacé) from That Recipe
• Marcus Samuelsson's Quick Pickled Cucumbers from Palatable Pastime
• Pasta Primavera from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Simple Ground Beef Tamales from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Spicy Italian Salad from Art of Natural Living

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

This is an updated post, originally published in April, 2014. 

Cantuccini Toscani

Yield: 60 biscotti

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

These cantuccini Toscani, filled with almonds and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, are a take on the wonderful crunchy Italian treat.

Ingredients

• 9.5 ounces (2 cups) all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unblanched whole almonds
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs and and vanilla together and pour over the dry ingredients.
4. With your hands, mix the ingredients together until fully incorporated.
5. Lightly flour a work surface, and knead the dough for about 3 minutes.
6. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 12 inch log.
7. Move the logs to the baking sheet and press them down to 2 inch wide by 1 inch high crescents.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Slide the logs, parchment and all, onto cooling racks. Let cool completely. (If you are not planning on making the cantuccini the same day, wrap the logs in plastic wrap to keep them fresh until baking time).
10. When you are ready to bake the cantuccini, line two baking sheets with parchment, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
11. With a very sharp serrated knife, slice each log into 1/4 inch thick slices.
12. Place them on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Cool on the pans.
13. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

50.77

Fat (grams)

2.10

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.23

Carbs (grams)

6.75

Fiber (grams)

0.51

Net carbs

6.24

Sugar (grams)

2.70

Protein (grams)

1.50

Sodium (milligrams)

45.93

Cholesterol (grams)

9.30

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/04/cantuccini-almond-biscotti.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

biscotti, cantuccini, cantucci

Cookies, Dessert

Italian

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