Cantuccini

Cantuccini

Duration: 45 min

Difficulty: Easy

Origin: Tuscany

Cantucci di Prato, also known as Cantuccini, are served in Tuscany at the end of a meal, often together with a glass of good Vin Santo in which to dip them.

Ingredients

For 8 people:

• 300 g of flour
• 100g of unpeeled almonds
• 3 eggs
• 300 g of sugar
• Grated orange zest
• Anise seeds (or anise liqueur)
• 1/2 sachet of yeast
• salt

How to Proceed

You can prepare them either by hand or using a planetary mixer. Working them by hand, prepare a pastry board on which you will pour the flour forming the classic fountain. Then pour in the sugar and break three eggs in the center, a pinch of salt and half a sachet of yeast.

Then add the grated zest of an orange and a teaspoon of anise seeds or a tablespoon of anise liqueur.

Begin kneading slowly, first incorporating the eggs, and then more vigorously to obtain a smooth dough. If the dough turns out to be too dry, add a little milk. Continue kneading until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.

At this point add the almonds to the dough while continuing to knead.

Poi dividete l’impasto in più parti formando poi con ciascuna di esse dei filoncini di circa 3-4 cm di spessore. Procuratevi una teglia, imburratene il fondo, oppure disponeteci sopra della carta da forno, e disponeteci sopra i filoni di impasto.

Heat the oven to 180°C and then bake. Let the dough cook for 15 minutes and then once cooked, take the loaves out of the oven and let them cool to room temperature (do not put the pan away and do not throw away the baking paper).

Once cooled, cut them into oblique slices 1 cm thick to form the famous cantucci.

Place the cantucci again on the baking tray covered with baking paper and put them back in the oven to complete cooking for another 15 minutes, always at 180°C.

Remove the cantuccini from the oven and let them cool. Then serve them together with a nice glass of Vin Santo.