Authentic Italian Cantuccini
Cantuccini Recipe: Easy to Make at Home!
Cantuccini are almond cookies and are among the most popular Italian desserts. They originate from Prato—a province in Tuscany. These cookies are traditionally served after dinner with Vin Santo, a dessert wine, but they also pair perfectly with an espresso. Just dip the cantuccini—that’s how they taste best!
Authentic Italian cantuccini are made with almonds, flour, sugar, and eggs. Amaretto and various spices add a special touch to the cookies. The cookies are baked twice, which gives them their crumbly and hearty texture. They have a long shelf life, making them an ideal gift.
Ingredients
600 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
250 g sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of cinnamon
100 g butter
5 eggs
250 g almonds
1 organic lemon
4 tbsp Amaretto
Step 1 : The Preparation
First, wash the lemon thoroughly with lukewarm water. Then, carefully grate the lemon zest. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape the vanilla seeds out of the bean using the back of the knife.
Step 2 : The Dough
Beat the eggs together with the sugar and Amaretto. Then add the butter, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix everything together with a hand mixer until you have a smooth dough. Use your hands to knead the almonds into the dough. Then shape the dough into a ball and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Step 3 : Shape and bake the cantuccini rolls
Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour. Now you can shape the dough into long rolls. Place the dough rolls on a baking sheet, leaving a little space between them, and bake them in the oven at 180 degrees. The heat causes the dough to spread, giving the cantuccini their typical rounded shape. After 20 minutes, remove the cookies—which are still slightly soft—from the oven and cut them into slices about 1 to 1.5 cm thick using a sharp knife. Arrange the cookies cut-side up on the baking sheet and bake the cantuccini for another 5 minutes.
Step 4 : The Finale
Let the cantuccini cool completely. They’ll keep especially well in an airtight container. That way, you can enjoy them for several weeks. The cantuccini are now ready to perfectly round out your next Italian-themed evening or afternoon coffee break—just dip them in and enjoy! Semplicemente delizioso!
