It’s December, and weekends are dedicated to holiday baking. We keep things simple, making just a few Italian holiday treats from Stefano’s childhood that now have become part of our family traditions. There are just enough weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas to fit everything in.
Last weekend it was salame di cioccolato, the decadent, chocolatey treat made to look like a salami that is a favorite of our (grown) kids. This weekend, we are making tozzetti, which are similar to cantucci, and are (not quite correctly) known as biscotti here in the States.
Tozzetti vs. Cantucci
What’s the difference between tozzetti and cantucci? Not a lot, really. Cantucci are distinctly Tuscan and are made strictly with almonds. Tozzetti, which originated in Umbria and are also common in the Lazio region of Italy, are often made with hazelnuts rather than almonds. Variation is permitted in the recipe for tozzetti, and modern versions may include bits of chocolate or pistachio.
What are biscotti, then?
The word biscotto (singular) can be broken into two parts: bis, indicating “two” and cotto, which means “cooked.” Biscotto, therefore, means “twice cooked.” Tozzetti and cantucci are both baked twice; therefore, they are two types of biscotti (plural).
However, in Italian, biscotto is a broad term, corresponding to “cookie” in American English or “biscuit” in British English. There are many different types of biscotti, just like there are many types of cookies.
Most biscotti sold here in the States would not be called biscotti in Italy. They’d be called tozzetti or cantucci. However, in Italy, tozzetti and cantucci are smaller and more delicately flavored. Like many things, American biscotti are oversized and over-elaborated. The chocolate-dipped, icing-drizzled, candy-decorated “biscotti” we find in coffee shops and specialty stores are a distinctly American interpretation of an Italian tozzetto.
Stefano’s mom, Maria, makes tozzetti with hazelnuts according to the traditional recipe. I mix ours up a bit, making both hazelnut and almond tozzetti, and a chocolate chip version that our kids love.
All three versions call for orange and lemon zest, along with a shot of brandy, for Christmas-y fragrance and cheer. They are delicious with coffee for breakfast or dipped into a glass of Vin Santo after dinner.
Ingredients
24 Tozzetti
150 grams (1 and 3/4 cups) sugar
40 grams (3 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
Zest of one orange
Zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1/2 shot glass (1 oz.) of brandy
300 grams (2 and 1/3 cups) flour
5 grams (2 teaspoons) Lievito Pane degli Angeli, or substitute baking powder.
100 grams (about 3/4 cup) of toasted hazelnuts, toasted almonds, or chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
If you are using hazlenuts or almonds, toast them for 10 minutes, then set aside.
Using a stand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and lemon & orange zest together.
Add the eggs and brandy and continue mixing.
Use a tea strainer to add the Lievito Pane degli Angeli to the flour to break up any clumps, or, if using baking powder, add it to the flour.
Add the flour mixture to the egg, sugar, and butter and continue beating until the dough forms a homogenous mixture.
Add the hazelnuts, almonds, or chocolate chips and mix gently until evenly incorporated.
Divide the dough into two parts.
On a flour-dusted surface, roll each piece into logs about 5 centimeters / 2 inches wide.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place each log onto the baking tray, and bake for 25 minutes.
Let the log cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then use a sharp, serrated knife to cut them into 2-centimeter / 3/4-inch tozzetti.
Lay the tozzetti on their side and return them to the oven for 5 more minutes on each side.
Allow the tozzetti to cool completely, then store them in an air-tight container.
How lovely! I’d have a hard time deciding among almonds, hazelnuts or chocolate… One of each perhaps?
An enjoyable read, as always.