Cantucci

The popular Italian biscotti. Easier to make than you’d expect. Flavour with Hazelnuts and aniseed, for authenticity, or almonds and orange. Dunk into strong black coffee or dessert wine.

Makes ca. 20

Ingredients

400 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder (or 1 tsp cr. tartar, ½ tsp bicarb.)
85 g unsalted butter
200 g sugar
3 large eggs
50 g hazelnuts (or almonds)
2 tsp aniseed (or zest of one orange)

Method

Lightly toast the nuts & aniseed. Roughly chop (or leave whole) the nuts leaving the skins on for flavour. Roughly grind the aniseed. Sift the flour and raising agent into a spare bowl. In a baking bowl, cream the butter and sugar until just well-mixed then mix in the eggs one-by-one reserving 1 tbsp of white for glazing. Add the aniseed or zest, the nuts and flour mix, and work with a spoon until just mixed.

Oil a baking sheet and your hands then divide the dough roughly in two. Shape each portion into a log 40-50 mm (2”) thick by rolling between the hands. Place on the baking sheet, flatten slightly, then brush with the beaten egg white and bake at 180 °C until golden (20-30 min).
Reduce the oven to 160 °C, cool the logs for five minutes then cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 15 mm (½″) slices. Bake again on both sides until lightly browned (10 – 15 min. each side).

Added by: davidturton

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