Ingredients
For cookie dough*
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 large whole eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups roasted peeled whole almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ("Hershey's" chocolate chips are very good for this recipe)
For rolling cookie dough
about 1/2 cup icing sugar
For cookie pan
One could either grease the cookie pan or place a silicon baking mat on the baking sheet(in which case do Not grease); personally I prefer to use "Silpat," the silicon baking mat made in France
* Makes about 2 to 3 dozen cookies, depending on size
Directions
To roast the almonds
o Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
o Bake until they are roasted -- about 20 minutes.
o Remove from oven and cool.
To make cookie dough
o Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cool.
o Beat the 2 whole eggs with the 1 egg yolk together.
o In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
o Add melted chocolate.
o Mix beaten egg mixture with the remaining dry ingredients and work into a soft dough.
o Add the roasted almonds to the cookie dough.
o Divide the cookie dough into three equal portions.
o On a lightly floured wooden board shape each portion of cookie dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long.
o Roll in icing sugar.
For baking
o Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
o Place the cantuccini logs on a greased cookie sheet (Or place a silicon baking mat on the baking sheet, in which case the mat is not greased).
o Bake until the logs are golden -- 20 to 25 minutes.
For slicing
o Remove the baking sheet with the baked logs from the oven (Do NOT turn off the oven as the cantuccini will be returned to the oven after the logs are sliced).
o Place the cantuccini logs on a wooden board.
o While the logs are still warm, with a very sharp knife cut slices about 1/2 inch wide.
For the second baking
o Place the sliced cantuccini on the cookie sheets, in the same position as were the original logs (Do NOT flip the slices over, but let the cookies stand up). Leave enough space between the slices so they will be evenly re-baked.
o Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or so.
o Remove and cool.
o Serve the cookies at room temperature.
Notes
Photo: Mary Melfi. |
