Sarah-Kate Lynch
This is me making cantucci with the handsome chef, Fabio. I didn't write down the measurements, which in retrospect was a mistake.
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CANTUCCII did take a cantucci cooking class in Tuscany but the chef was so handsome I wrote down the ingredients incorrectly and have never been able to recreate it. Instead I use the one below which I have been making for years from a cookbook written by a woman who baked for many years for the Queen Mother in England. It's not very Italian, but it is delicious. Cookies, Biscuits & Biscotti by Linda Collister is the name of the book, and I can hardly read my favourite recipe these days it is so splattered with biscotti dough...Cantucci (or Biscotti as it is more commonly known)
50g dark chocolate, chopped 1 large egg 100g golden caster sugar 1 teaspoon real vanilla essence 130g plain flour ½ teaspoon baking powder a pinch of salt 50g nuts or dried fruit, chopped Whisk the egg, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until very thick and pale. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixing bowl, mix thoroughly with egg mixture, then add chocolate and fruit or nuts. Turn mixture out on to a baking sheet and shape into a flat log about 26 x 6 x 1.5 cm. Bake the log in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer on to a cutting board. With a serrated bread knife, cut the log on the diagonal into slices about 1cm thick. Arrange on the sheet and bake again for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and eat within two weeks. Notes: I have wildly inconsistent results as far as the look of this biscotti goes and I think it has something to do with the sugar as I often can’t find golden caster sugar so use any old thing. Sometimes the end product is quite delicate but mostly it is very rustic and chunky which I don’t mind at all. It is never 1cm thick! I also use whatever is handy instead of the chocolate and nuts. Dried cranberries are good, but I made a delicious combo the other day using pistachio nuts and dried apricots. These were particularly pretty because of the orange and green and the apricot gave a lovely tart contrast to the sugary biscuit and the slightly sweet pistachio. Yum. Low Fat Blueberry And Banana Muffins1 cup flour
1/3 cup rye flour ½ tsp baking soda pinch salt 2 TBSP grapeseed oil 1/3 cup runny honey 2 large eggs 2-3 ripe bananas 1/3 cup milk or runny yoghurt 1 tsp pure vanilla 1 cup blueberries Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately then add blueberries. Cook at 180deg for 25 minutes. Makes 10 muffins. Tip: I love bananas but not when they are too ripe so I put ones that are starting to go black in the freezer and they are perfect for baking. I also use frozen blueberries. |
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