Have you ever tried making Italian Cantucci with your Thermomix?
These very tasty almond biscuits are perfect to be served as a dessert at the end of a meal together with the famous Vin Santo, a fortified and perfumed wine where cantucci are dipped in to soften. They are typically prepared in Tuscany, especially in the town of Prato.
As for all the traditional recipes, Cantucci have a particular and interesting origin too. Their name derives from the latin "cantellus" that means "piece" or "slice of bread".
The first documented recipe of these biscuits is to be found in a XVIII century manuscript by Amadio Baldanzi, a scholar from Prato while the classic recipe has been refined by the Prato confectioner Antonio Matteo in the XIX century who received many awards in Italy and abroad, including a special mention at Paris Exposition Universelle in 1867. Today in Prato the confectioner "Mattonella" is still existing and considered as the repository of the traditional Cantucci recipe.
The particular thing about this biscuits is in the fact they are double baked: the first cooking is in the oven, dough is shaped as a French loaf; second cooking is done when biscuits are cut and then put into the oven (turned off but warm) to cook well in the inside and roast.
Preparation is made easy with Thermomix because, we can say it...how could we live without Thermomix? :-)
If you are looking for other almond biscuits recipes you may try the Baci di Dama or the very good Neapolitan Roccocò. If you are a cake-holic I suggest you try the traditional Caprese Cake, the Almond and Ricotta Cake and the delicious Puff Pastry Cake with Hazelnuts, Almonds and Chocolate Jelly. Lastly, if you feel like something fresh and healthy you must try the Almond Granita ;-).
Ingredients
- 1 organic orange (zest)
- 180 g granulated sugar
- 250 g plain flour + to taste for the worktop
- 2 medium eggs
- A pinch of fine salt to taste
- 1 tsp of baking powder (8 g)
- 100 g of toasted almonds
For the surface
- 1 yolk
Let's cook
Put the zest of an organic orange and 180 g of granulated sugar in the mixing bowl and chop 10 Sec. Speed 10.
Add 250 g of plain flour, 2 medium eggs, a tsp of baking powder, 1 pinch of salt and knead 2 Min. Dough Mode.
Add 100 g of almonds and knead 30 Sec. Dough Mode.
Form approximately 8 cm wide loaves and brush them with 1 beaten egg yolk.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 30 Min.
As soon as they come out of the oven, cut the loaves on the bias to obtain the biscuits.
Put the biscuits back on the baking tray and cook for 10 Min. at 160C.
Turn the biscuits over to the other side and bake again for 10 Min. at 160C.
Tips
To keep the cantucci longer, you can put them in a tin box. In addition, well packaged, they can be an excellent idea for your gifts to give to friends and relatives on the occasions you like the most :-)
You can customize the recipe by adding 1/2 scoop of liqueur to taste, or marsala.
Translated from the Cantucci Bimby
Copyright: Italian Cantucci Biscuits Recipe with Thermomix from Thermomix Recipes
Photocredit: Thermomix Recipes