Tomorrows #NationalCookieDay...Why not bake a batch of my cantuccini to celebrate? Tney also pair perfectly with #VinSanto 4 #WineWednesday.... Cantuccini/Mini Biscotti from Prato During my decade in Tuscany, I experimented with many recipes for cantuccini, or mini biscotti. But I was never entirely happy with the results—until a few years ago when I visited the Il Silene restaurant in a tiny medieval Tuscan village surrounded by chestnut trees, dense beech woods, and centuries-old olive groves. A dear friend Mirco had convinced me that I could learn plenty from Chef Roberto, the owner, and his assistant Maria. He was right. It was there that I mastered this recipe for beautiful, glossy, crispy mini biscotti. I also got to know and respect Chef Roberto, now a good friend. Chef Roberto’s culinary talents were apparent to me from the first day. Just before noon an elderly woman came into the kitchen with a basket full of freshly foraged porcini mushrooms. She told Roberto, in a strong Tuscan dialect, “I have so many porcini I don’t know what to do with them anymore! Will you take some?” Roberto bought them and within an hour he had prepared a gorgeous platter of fresh fettuccine with porcini. I can still smell the wonderful aroma of that dish. The next day I watched Roberto make these cantuccini, based on the classic recipe from Prato, a small town near Florence. I have been making them ever since and they turn out flawlessly every time. Enjoy them with a cup of cappuccino in the morning, or after dinner with a glass of sweet Vin Santo dessert wine. Yield: About 60 mini biscotti Ingredients 2 large eggs 3 egg yolks, divided 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling ¼ cup honey ¼ cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 ¼ cups whole raw almonds Zest of 1 orange Preparation Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. In a large bowl, combine 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, sugar, honey, butter, flour, baking powder, almonds, and zest. Mix well. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into a ball and form the balls into 6 logs of equal size (about 2-inches wide by 9-inches long). Place on the baking sheet and push down lightly on tops. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and brush the egg wash on the top of the logs. Sprinkle each log lightly with sugar. Bake until the logs are golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275˚F. With a serrated knife, cut the logs into ½-inch - thick diagonal slices. Place the slices upright on the baking sheet, about 1/8-inch apart and bake until crunchy, about 15 minutes. The longer they remain in the oven the crunchier they will be. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Italian Cooking Primer Honey and almonds are traditionally used in cantuccini, but you can create other combinations using dried fruits, chocolate, or your preferred type of nuts. Once the cantuccini are completely cooled, you can freeze them in airtight containers for up to a month, making them wonderful edible gifts. Sommelier’s Pick Vin Santo
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:27:25 +0000
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