Biscotti & Cantucci — L' Arte della Pasticceria (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between cantucci and biscotti? ›

The main difference between Cantucci and Biscotti is their origin, Cantucci is from Tuscany, and Biscotti is from the region of Emilia-Romagna. Cantucci is typically made with almonds, while Biscotti are made with all-purpose flour and a variety of nuts and chocolate or nothing.

What does Biscotti mean in Italian? Directly translated, Biscotti (or biscotto) simply means cookie in modern day Italian. However, the word originates from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning “twice-cooked,” referring to the method used to make traditional Biscotti.

Biscotti was baked first to simply cook the ingredients and then a second time to dry them out completely, making them more durable and less-perishable for the long journey. The Roman Empire, as history tells us, fell in 455 C.E., and the popularity of the biscotti waned temporarily.

Since they are very dry, biscotti traditionally are served with a drink into which they may be dunked. In Italy, they are typically served as an after-dinner dessert with a Tuscan fortified wine called Vin Santo. Outside of Italy, they more frequently accompany coffee, including cappuccinos and lattes, or black tea.

Cantucci are the most famous Tuscan biscuits in the world. The name cantuccio comes from the Latin word cantellus which means piece or slice; this word describes how these biscuits are made: a small, fresh-out-of-the-oven loaf of dough is sliced diagonally.

Unlike many traditional cookies, biscotti are often lower in fat and sugar. Add some heart healthy nuts and you have a satisfying and relatively light treat! This delicious cookie can easily be made vegan & vegetarian friendly.

Biscotti has its origins in ancient Rome, where soldiers enjoyed them as a hardtack-like food that could be easily transported and stored. The cookies were made with a simple mixture of flour, water, and sometimes nuts or honey.

Biscotti is a sliced cookie made from a long piece of dough that has been baked, cut into individual pieces and finally re-baked to obtain characteristic texture and low moisture. The cookie is long and finger shaped. The double baking dries out the dough, giving it a crunchy texture.

The word biscotti is derived from the Latin biscoctus, meaning twice baked or cooked: The dough is formed into logs, baked, cooled and baked again. Whereas Italians use the word "biscotti" to refer to various cookies, Americans use the term to refer to the singular long, crisp, twice-baked Italian cookie.

In Italy, however, the traditional way to eat cantucci is to dip them in a sweet dessert wine called Vin Santo. Cantucci are not especially sweet, particularly compared to modern cookies, and dipping them in sweet wine instead of bitter coffee adds a whole new layer of deliciousness.

Why are cantuccini so hard? ›

The unleavened wafers, flavoured with almonds which at the time were plentiful, were baked once to cook them and again to completely draw out the moisture, resulting in a hard, dry texture and a shelf-life so long that the philosopher Pliny the Elder once reportedly boasted that they would be edible for centuries.

In the US, we typically enjoy our biscotti dipped into espresso, but in Italy, it's also traditional to dip them into a glass of good Vin Santo after a meal.

Cantucci biscuits are also known as Biscotti. They are a dry crunchy almond biscuit from Tuscany that are made without any butter or oil. Amaretti biscuits are almond flavoured macaroons style biscuits that can be soft, chewy or crunchy depending on the recipe.

In a world where every single cookie is called a biscotto (the singular form of the word) there needs to be a word for what we know to be biscotti. That word is - yes, you guessed it - cantucci!

Traditionally, Tuscans serve cantucci after a meal with Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine that perfectly complements the not-too-sweet cookie. The cookies also pair well with rich coffee or herbal tea for a delicious afternoon pick-me-up.

The almonds inside Cantucci usually are not toasted neither peeled. In Tuscany Cantucci are usually tasted deeping them in a dessert wine, named “Vin Santo”, an artisanal fortified wine obtained through dried grapes.