8 egg yolks
150 grams (about 5 1/4 ounces) icing sugar
40 grams (about 1 1/3 ounces) powdered cocoa
40 grams (about 1 1/3 ounces) butter
a touch of vanilla sugar

Original Italian text
Rossi d'uovo, N.8
Zucchero a velo, grammi 150
Cacao in polvere, grammi 40
Burro, grammi 40
Odore di vainiglia mediante zucchero vanigliato

Place ingredients in a bowl, and mix for more than 15 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Divide the mixture into four parts, and place them in paper cups, each 8 centimeters long and 6 centimenters wide.

Place these baking cups in a copper baking pan and cover it, and place the pan in an oven with very little heat, so that the mixture solidifies without forming a crust, as one is supposed to eat this sweet with a spoon.

For this reason the name "biscotti" is quite inappropriate.



Original Italian text

Ponete questi ingredienti in un vaso e con un mestolo, lovarateli per oltre un quarto d'ora, poi versate il composto in quattro scatole di carta, lunghe otto e larghe sei centimetri circa Collocate le medesime in una teglia di rame coperta, posatela sopra un composto assodi alquanto senza fare la crosticina perche si deve prender su a cucciaini: quindi e affatto improprio il nome di biscottini.

The recipe in this entry was taken from "La Scienza in Cucina e L'Arte di Mangiar Bene manuale Pratico per le Famiglie" compilato da Pellegrino Artusi. The book was first published in 1891. Since then many Italian editions have been published. English translations of this cookbook under the title "Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well" are available. At www.archive.org Olga Ragusa's selection of recipes from Pellegrino's famous Italian cookbook can be found in its entirety (It's free to download). Her selection entitled, "The Italian Cook Book," was first published in 1945 by S.F. Vanni.... N.B. Pellegrino Artusi has a long introduction to this recipe, saying that a woman from Conegliano gave him the recipe, telling him that in her area this was regularly given to new mothers to help them increase their strength.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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