Cantucci

Here's a recipe for the small biscotti (Italian dipping cookies) so difficult to find in North America, yet so plentiful in the Siena region. If you have never done it - you really must try the wonderful and simply elegant Senese after dinner tradition of dipping a cantucci into a glass of Vin Santo and eating the cookie. A great tradition. Well, this is Fina's recipe. Although we are not sure who Fina is, it comes to us by way of Maddine Insalaco - a talented Tuscan Landscape painter who we met many many years back now. A delightful person, and way ahead of the curve in landscape painiting and Tuscany. If you're interested in landscape painting classes - she teaches in the Spring and Fall; if you want to purchase, that too she will respond to most enthusiastically. Drop her a line at Etruscan-places.com. 

Ingrediants

• 4 eggs 2 (250 grams)
• sugar (400 grams)
• flour (800 grams)
• grated lemon
• 2 tablespoons of coursely chopped almonds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder (In Italy use lievito Bertolini vanigliato)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1- 2 tablespoons anise seeds

Directions

1.Mix all ingredients evenly to a kneadable dough
2.Roll fistfull size balls out to long (8 inch) strips.
3.Place strips on greased cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart
4.Bake at 350F or 180C for 20 minutes
5.Remove from oven and cut each strip into several cantuccini 1/2 inch thick. Make sure that the cuts occur diagonally across the strips. This maximizes the length of the cookie.
6. Return cookies to oven for 10 mintues for a second cooking. Hence, Bis-cotti (dual cooked).
7. Allow to cool before eating.
8. Buy a bottle of Vin Santo.
9. Pour into a glass.
10. Dip a cantucci into the glass.

Buon Appetito!