Tuscan-style cantuccini

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 60 g butter (soft, room temperature)
• 250 g sugar (fine)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 eggs (size M)
• 400 g flour (plus some extra for rolling out)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp wine, Vin Santo (Italian dessert wine)
• 1 lemon(s) (organic, unsprayed)
• 150 g almonds (whole and with skin)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

delicious with espresso or latte macchiato, makes 45 pieces

Wash the lemon in hot water, dry it, and finely grate the zest or peel it thinly with a zester (make sure the white part stays on the lemon). Mix the butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt with the whisk of a hand mixer. Stir in the eggs and lemon zest, then mix the flour and baking powder and sift them over the lemon. Pour in the Vin Santo and knead everything well with the dough hook of the mixer, finally kneading in the whole almonds. Preheat the oven to 175°C (150°C fan/gas mark 2). Divide the dough into three equal pieces and, dusting them with a little flour, shape each piece into a log about 4 cm in diameter on the work surface. Place each piece on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in the center of the hot oven for about 20 minutes. After baking, remove the baking sheet and let the logs cool slightly. Carefully place them on a wooden board and cut diagonally into approximately 1.5 cm thick slices (this works best with an electric kitchen knife because of the whole almonds). Place the cantuccini cut-side down back on the baking sheet lined with baking paper (or on two baking sheets) and bake at the same temperature for another 8 minutes. Then place them on a wire rack and let them cool. These cantuccini taste excellent with espresso or latte macchiato; in Tuscany they are also enjoyed with a glass of Vin Santo. They are best stored in tins and will keep for about 2 weeks. Tip: If you don’t have Vin Santo at home, you can also use another sweet dessert wine or even a mild sherry, as I find the taste is quite similar.