Cantuccini - The Recipe

home made cantuccini

This is THE Cantuccini Recipe many friends have asked me about. Even a famous Italian ristoratore had asked details - which made me already consider to start a new business ... maybe I should become an Italian restaurant supplier of cantuccini?

Since I don't seem to follow that new career option anytime soon, I thought about revealing the secret. But will my cantuccini still be appreciated, when everyone can easily (yes, easily, that was my secret) bake them at home? - Well, finally, I decided to file and share the recipe here on my blog (and yes, filing and sharing was always a main purpose of blogging after all).

The recipe is of course from Tuscany (Toscana), but the signora who had thought me how to make cantuccini lives in Calabria - in Pizzo to be precise, and that's where I made them the first time, together with her (see photos below).


ingredients:
2 eggs
200 g almonds (with skin, natural, not roasted, not salted)
200 gr flour (00 or 405 type)
180 gr of sugar (90 gr per egg)
1 pack of vanilla sugar (teaspoon)
1 pinch of salt

The ingredients are for an oven tray of 60cm. The output is about 1/2 kg of cantuccini. If you have a larger oven, of 90 cm, you could just double the ingredients.


how to:
1) pre-heat the oven to 180 degree (C)
2) mix sugar and egg (long)
3) add (sieved) flour slowly and well
4) add almonds and fold in with a wooden spoon
5) cover tray with paper, make two strings of dough (see photo below)
6) bake 15 min in oven
7) take the tray out, chop the "bread" in finger thick cantuccini
8) lay chopped cantuccini flat on the tray and bake for another 15 min.


FAQ:
Q: do you need yeast or baking soda?  A: No, no need.
Q: do you use egg white on top for the meringue-effect?  A: No.
Q: how about butter or oil?  A: No!


Photos of my baking class in our kitchen in August 2012, with double ingredients for a 90 cm tray:

make two strings of "bread"

after baking 15 min take it our from oven and cut

lay them on the oven tray and bake again for 15 min

enjoy home made cantuccini!

Tip: Cantuccini can be served for breakfast with cappuccino o espresso café; they can be dipped in the coffee or even be dipped in sweet vino santo after a meal. And if you don't become a professional cantuccini yet, your home made bake will make nice little presents when packed in clear bags and wrapped with a ribbon. Just don't bring them when we are invited to the same party ;-)


Recipe credit: Yolanda Pezzo