How To Make Cantucci (Those Hard Italian Cookies)
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Tuscan Almond Cookies – Cantucci – are one of the typical cookies you can find in Tuscany. They have no butter and are cooked twice. The result is that they are quite hard and crunchy. In Tuscany, they are traditionally dipped in Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine, but they are also delicious in coffee or tea!
Prep Time: 25 minutes.
Cook Time: 35 minutes.
Toast the almonds at 200°C / 400°F for about 15 minutes, until brown. Then let cool.
In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, olive oil, and lemon zest. Mix well. Then add the almonds (whole) and knead the dough until incorporated. If the dough is too hard, add an additional egg or extra virgin olive oil. If it is too soft, add additional flour.
With wet hands, form three even-sized ‘loaves’ with the dough, each about a foot long and 5-6 cm / 2-3 inches wide.
Bake at 200°C / 390°F for about 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cut slices 2 cm / 1 inches thick in a slightly diagonal pattern as soon you get them out of the oven. After, put them back on the baking tray. Bake the cookies in the oven for another 10 minutes at 200°C / 390°F.
Serve cookies with a sweet liquor-like wine.
The best way to remember to make it is to plan for it. Learn about meal prep through our article Meal Prep 101, by dietician Shannon Costello.
Need the ingredients list on hand? Simply pull up the article on your phone (it’s mobile compatible) or click here to print it out.
Chicca’s here to help. If you need assistance with the recipe, email her at chicca@cookingintuscany.cc
Feeling adventurous? Take a trip over to Italy and take the class, led by Chicca, on how to make cantucci (as well as many other amazing dishes)!
Feeling really adventurous? Enjoy a week of classes and an authentic experience of life in Tuscany, Italy, through her all-inclusive Cooking Vacation.
Italian Chef
Chicca is a Tuscan-based architect and passionate chef of home-cooked food. After many years of cooking for family and friends, she found her calling: teaching people how to cook authentic homemade food while sharing recipes and stories about her incredible culture. She has spread the traditional-Italian and typical-Tuscan cuisine in Italy and abroad for the past 19 years.
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