Biscotti or Cantucci, what do you say?
Our coffee station.
The Sweet Debate
In the world of Italian baking, few treats spark as much friendly debate as the humble cantucci. Some call them biscotti, others insist on cantucci, but whatever the name, these crisp almond cookies are a staple from north to south. In Tuscany, they’re served with a glass of vin santo for dunking, while in other regions, the recipe shifts—sometimes hazelnuts instead of almonds, sometimes a hint of citrus, sometimes an extra dash of sweetness.
Making cantucci is a ritual in itself: mixing simple ingredients, shaping the dough into logs, and—traditionally—baking them twice for that signature crunch. But every family, every baker, adds their own twist. That’s where the magic lives.
In every Italian household, there’s at least one recipe you guard like family history — passed from friend to friend, scribbled on a stained card, whispered over coffee.
How my day starts almost everyday.
For me, it’s cantucci.
The recipe found its way to me decades ago, through a culinary-school roommate who claimed it came from a vanished bakery in Provicences’s Federal Hill. Whether it was shared, borrowed, or stolen, no one remembers — but every time I bake them, the aroma feels like memory itself.
Technically, they’re not biscotti — I skip the second bake. The extra sugar gives them just the right crackle without drying them out. Purists may object, but Tuscan cantucci have always been about simplicity: flour, eggs, almonds, and time.
My wife Bonnie insists I should keep the recipe to myself.
“If you give it away,” she laughs, “who’s going to show up for dessert?”
But Italian tradition says a good table is meant to be shared.
So consider this my small act of rebellion — and hospitality. Pour an espresso, break one in half, and taste the story.
Cantucci, Almond
Ingredients
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8 oz Almonds, Skin on
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12 oz Sugar, Granulated
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8.25 oz Bread Flour, King Arthur
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0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon, Ground
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0.5 teaspoon Baking Soda
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0.5 oz Butter, Chilled
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0.5 teaspoon Salt, Kosher
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1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
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5.25 oz Eggs, Whole
Instructions
- Toast almonds in an oven set at 350°F for 15 min till roasted. Allow to completely cool or dough will be sticky.
- Place the cooled almonds, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cold butter (cut in pieces) in a mixer with a flat paddle and mix till the butter pieces are blending in to the flour.
- Add the vanilla and the eggs to the mix. Mix until the dough comes togeter. It should come to a stiff dough not smooth or sticky. If you need a little liquid add a bit of aother egg. If a bit sticky add a little flour. This recipes hydration is driven by the size of the eggs. So bigger eggs means a wetter dough and smaller means dryer. See photo for reference of dough consistency.
- Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Approximately 320g/11oz
- Roll into a log on a lightly floured surface the length of a 1/2 sheet pan. Maximum 3 logs per 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicon mat.
- Put in a preheated oven with forced air (convection) 360°F and bake for 26 minutes.
- Remove the biscotti from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Remove them from the tray with a spatula and cut them on a wooden cutting board with a serrated knife. If the biscotti get too cold, they will be hard to cut.
- Allow the Cantucci to completely cool and then put them in plastic bags or a well-sealed cookie jar.
Notes
• This recipe's performance means the spread and moisture are driven by three ingredients. The flour, sugar, and eggs. If your dough is too dry or wet after mixing, adjust the eggs in your second recipe, as egg size is different.
• Eggs range from 45 to 60 grams per egg. (3 eggs)
• If your dough consistency looks perfect, but the spread is too much and the logs are running into each other (a little is ok), back off the sugar in the recipe by 20grams. Different sugar manufacturers perform a little differently based on the sugar crystal size.
• Trust me, these little tweaks for the best recipe are worth it.
• Always make a single test batch first before making the investment into a larger production run.
