So, we are all familiar with biscotti (pronounced bee-Scott-tee), but probably less familiar with cantuccini (pronounced cantu chee (as in cheese) knee – emphasis on the chee). BTW, one biscotti is a biscotto, and one cantuccini is a cantucci. (Welcome to Italian language school.)
Anyway, cantuccini are a Tuscan twice-baked biscuit often served for dessert with Vin Santo. According to Total Wine, “The sweet dessert wine Vin Santo – “holy wine” – is unique to Italy’s Tuscany region. Traditionally, wine makers dry grapes by hanging the harvested bunches up or arranging them on racks in attics or barns. After three or four months, the semi-dried grapes are full of concentrated sugars and flavors. After pressing, the juice is fermented in small wooden barrels, and aged for at least three years. The barrels are never completely filled, which exposes the wine to air. They’re also subject to varying temperatures throughout the year.
This treatment, which would wreak havoc on ordinary table wine, can have a delicious effect on Vin Santo. The wine emerges from aging with a characteristic nutty, caramel flavor, a deep golden color and an alcohol content that ranges from 14 to 17 percent. Vin Santo is typically made with Trebbiano and Malvasia grape varieties. A red Vin Santo may also be produced from Sangiovese.”
Me again – The only problem with Vin Santo, is that we have never found a good Vin Santo in the United States. We have brought back Vin Santo in our luggage after trips to Italy, but have never been able to find the real thing here in the states. BTW – If you know of a truly great Vin Santo that can be purchased here, please let me know. I would truly appreciate having that information.)
But back to these cookies/biscuits/type of biscotti/whatever you choose to call them. They are so very delicious. I actually took my old recipe (see Anise Biscotti with Almonds under Biscotti – 6 Ways from Sunday on this site) and adapted it to better resemble the cantuccini we experienced in Tuscany.
So if you want the perfect dessert for an Italian themed dinner, or just want to make a fairly simple cookie for your family to enjoy with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, give this recipe a try. These cantuccini are so much better than anything you can buy in a market or bakery, for about a 6th of the price.
It actually just about kills me when I see a package of 6 biscotti selling for more than it cost me to bake a large batch of these at home. (That’s why I got into home cooking and baking in the first place. I wanted good food without paying an arm and a leg for it. True confession!)
So save your shekels, insure the quality of the ingredients in the biscuits your family will be consuming, provide your family with a tantalizing olfactory experience, and take a break from it all with a lovely cup of coffee or tea and one of these old-world delights. You deserve it! Take care my friends.
- ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp. crushed anise seed (not ground) I use my mortar and pestle.
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 T. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 c. chopped slivered almonds, toasted
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, crushed anise seed, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Stir in the toasted almonds.
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 3-inch rectangle.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool for 13 minutes. Cut each roll diagonally into ½-inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 13 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet.
Store in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These cantuccini are perfect with coffee, tea, or dunked in a glass of Vin Santo.