Cantuccini (almond biscuits)

Cantucci are Tuscany's most famous and traditional biscotti. They are baked twice, the first time in the shape of a loaf, then cut diagonally and baked again until they become crunchy. They are usually served with Tuscan Vin Santo, a wonderful Italian dessert wine. So many friends of mine have left Tuscany with packets of Cantucci stuffed in their luggage and bought some extra ones at the airport just in case! They simply cannot risk running out of the essence of Tuscany's flavors once back home. So, consider the following as an emergency recipe, just in case your cantucci supplies finish before your next trip to Toscana. 

Cantucci, also called Biscotti di Prato, are a classical sweet treat from northern Tuscany. They have a very ancient history and are now considered the most traditional dessert in the whole region. Imagine that the first official record of their existence comes from a book written in 1691! The word biscotti literally means twice (bis) cooked (cotto) and in fact, cantucci, are the emblem of twice-baked cookies. They are extremely simple to make, you just have to mix all the ingredients together, shape the dough into long logs and bake them. Then, when the logs are still warm, cut them into slices and cook them again. Once ready, you can store cantucci in a sealed container for several weeks, and eat one once in a while as a treat. At my place, however, they hardly ever last for more than a few days, especially around Christmas! 

Cantuccini are the grandmother of the biscotti you find in every café spread through Canada. The taste has mutated, but the form has stayed true to the original here in Montrel. The only addition to the basic biscuit dough in the original cantuccini are almonds: there’s no chocolate, marshmallows or cranberries to be seen anywhere!

Ingredients

caster sugar 280 gr

almonds 250 gr

flour 500 gr 

butter 100 gr

eggs 4, plus 1 yolk

egg 1 for the egg wash

salt 1 pinch

baking powder 4 gr

Instructions

Turn the oven at 190 C° degrees and toast the almonds on a tray for 3-4 minutes, then remove them from the oven and let them cool down. In the meantime, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and sugar until foamy, then add the melted butter at room temperature and keep beating. Mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it in the mixture, incorporating it little at a time. Add almonds and mix until smooth. Shape the mixture into a firm ball and divide it into 2 or 3 smaller balls of the same size. Turn each of them into logs, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush with egg wash. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 C° for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. With a knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Return to the oven at a lower temperature, 170 C°, for a few minutes until crunchy on both sides. ...and do not forget to serve them with Vin Santo!

Advise

Pick up a cantuccio. Holding one end of the cookie, immerse an inch or two of the other end in the Vin Santo. Let it soak, picking up the liquid, for at least five seconds. Eat. Bite into the softened portion of the cookie, savoring the lightly sweet, buttery, and nutty flavors with the taste of your beverage of choice. Repeat. Pick up another cookie, and dunk. Repeat as many times as desired. 

I personally like to dip them in my morning espresso!

About Vin Santo

Legend has it that the first Vin Santo was leftover wine given to the poor and sick by a 14th-century friar. Another story, also dating to the 14th century, tells of a Greek Eastern Orthodox pastor who called the wine “Xanthos” (the Greek word for “yellow,” perhaps for its yellow hue), which the locals began calling “Santos.”

Like sherry, Vin Santo wines may be sweet or dry; after harvest, the grapes are left on straw mats to dry, concentrating their sugars and aromas. After three to six months, they are pressed and fermented, then aged in sealed barrels where they traditionally developed an intentional oxidative character.

Vin Santo is made in 26 Tuscan DOC's, with four specifically dedicated to the style. In Chianti, the wine is traditionally made from a minimum 70% Trebbiano Toscana and/or Malvasia, supplemented with occasional Grechetto. The less common red Vin Santo, called Occhio di Pernice, is at least 50% Sangiovese.

The quintessential Chianti Classico wines have been produced for over 2000 years – symbolizing not only its tradition but its prestige. With unmistakable traits and stringent rules, the Chianti Classico represents the esteemed wines from Italy. Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo del Chianti ClassicoLocated within the Chianti region of Tuscany in central Italy, Chianti Classico is the oldest and the most esteemed area for producing Chianti wines. While the Chianti region is a relatively small area that is situated between Florence and Siena, the Classico area is at the heart of the region.

Baron Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Vin Santo of Chianti Classico

Many critics greatly appreciate this Vin Santo del Chianti Classico.

Critical tasting note: (vintage 2007) "Made with Malvasia and Sangiovese, it opens with aromas of resin, dried fruit and puff pastry. Sweet but rather fresh on the palate, clover honey and pine nuts accentuate a heart of ripe apricot." 

- 88/100, Wine Enthusiast