Cantucci or cantuccini are among the most famous Italian biscuits, part of the Tuscan tradition, with an elongated shape and an ancient and sweet flavor, excellent at the end of a meal accompanied by Vin Santo.
Just imagine that the cantuccio is the third most world famous biscuit and its origins dates back to 1691 when the first traces of it were found in the pages of the dictionary of the Accademia della Crusca where we read this textual quote: "sliced biscuit , of fine flour, with sugar and egg white".
The name is due to the shape they take after being cut from a loaf of a still warm dough, a diagonal cut that formed slices: a "piece of bread", a "corner", a "canto" (piece).
At the beginning they were even simpler than they are now, dried fruit was added much later, around 1800. Now the variations are many, they can be enriched with hazelnuts, peanuts, candied fruit, served with custard, mascarpone or English cream.
In order not to miss anything, in addition to the classic version with almonds I've also made a version with cocoa which is also gluten-free. Both turned out well, personally I prefer the classic cantuccio more, nice crunchy outside and slightly soft inside, golden at the right point. You feel the hint of honey that further sweetens the biscuit, but it does not bother. Cantucci with cocoa have a more crumbly consistency certainly due to the fact that they are gluten-free, but they hold their own against the classic one. Cocoa goes great with both hazelnuts and pistachios. I would say that both were approved.
Cantucci in Tuscany, tozzetti in Umbria and Lazio or Scroccadenti in Romagna, these delicious crucnhy biscuits are on the tables all over Italy and beyond. The scroccadente dipped in a glass of Cagnina romagnola is la morte sua (tasty to death), but I am biased.
Happy baking!
Recipe
Download the PDF
Preparation time 30 minutes
Baking time 50 minutes (25 each preparation)
Servings 30 traditional and 18 cocoa Gluten free
Ingredients
Traditional with almonds
2 eggs
40 gr of soft butter
170 gr of sugar
280 gr of all purpose flour
70 gr of unpeeled almonds
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tbsp of honey
Zest 1 untreated lemon
GLUTEN FREE with cocoa, pistachios and hazelnuts
300 gr of Nutrifree Shortcrust Pastry Mix gluten free
50 gr of unsweetened cocoa powder
150 gr of sugar
50 gr of soft butter
2 eggs
50 gr of unpeeled hazelnuts
50 gr of unpeeled pistachios
1 bag of vanillin
1 tsp of baking soda
method
FOR TRADITIONAL CANTUCCI WITH ALMONDS
1. In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy, combine flour, baking soda, honey and lemon zest, mix with the help of a hand whisk to obtain a grainy mixture
2. Add the soft butter and almonds, knead with your hands to make the dough homogeneous, pour everything on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and form one or two loaves depending on the size of the tray (I made two)
3. Bake in the oven with fan at 190 ° for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes. Cut the loaves into diagonal slices about 1 cm thick, turn the biscuits over and bake again for 5 minutes at 200 °. Leave to cool
FOR COCOA GLUTEN FREE CANTUCCI WITH PISTACHIOS AND HAZELNUTS
1. In a mixer, blend eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy, combine flour, baking soda, cocoa and vanillin, mix with the help of a hand whisk to obtain a grainy mixture
2. Add the soft butter, pistachios, and hazelnuts and knead with your hands to make the dough homogeneous, pour everything on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and form one or two loaves depending on the size of the pan
3. Bake in the oven with fan at 190 ° for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes. Cut the loaves into diagonal slices about 1 cm thick, turn the biscuits over and bake again for 5 minutes at 200 °. Leave to cool
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