Cantuccini

It is time to test a classic Italian recipe by contributing baker Nick Malgieri.

On Sunday I was hoping that after I do all the food prep for the week, I will get myself a glass of vino and enjoy a marathon of Scandal. Midway through veggie chopping, I was imagining how I have to measure ingredients, wash mixer bowls and mixer attachments after making this week’s cookie recipe. No, I had not read the recipe just yet and this is what happens when you are pre-programmed from your previous biscotti baking experiences. I was in for a pleasant surprise!

No matter if you call them cantuccini or biscotti di Prato, these cookies are super fast and simple to make. In less than five minutes you could have them in the oven with only one mixing bowl to wash. Although the recipe states to knead the dough on the counter, I did that in the mixing bowl.

It would be interesting to try the original recipe used by Antonio Mattei when he first made these in the nineteenth century in the small city of Prato. Nowadays the dough is made with cake pastry flour, 18% of the dough is almonds, 1% of the dough is pine nuts, and more egg yolks than egg whites.

I subbed the white sugar for raw coconut sugar and the cantuccini are deliciously crunchy! The first baking took around 20 minutes and the second baking – less than 10 minutes. So good!

Here is the recipe. All proportions are the same except for the baking powder. In Baking with Julia, Nick calls for 2 tsp baking powder.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!