For me, Cantucci are the symbol of Christmas, fragrant, scented and above all easy and quick to make! They keep for a long time and are also perfect as gifts!

Quantity for approximately 40 pieces

• 280 g of '00 flour
• 150g of granulated sugar
• 130 g of almonds with skin
• 2 eggs

grated peel of 1 orange

grated peel of 1 lemon

vanilla to taste

• 1 teaspoon of baking ammonia (alternatively 1 teaspoon of baking powder)
• 1 pinch of salt

First of all, mix together eggs, sugar, grated citrus peels, salt and vanilla with a fork. Then add the flour and baking ammonia. Knead for a few seconds until you obtain a homogeneous dough. Add the almonds with all the skin. Knead well, divide the dough in half and with the help of a little flour make 2 loaves approximately 3 cm wide (important to have perfectly shaped nooks, do not flatten the loaf, but place it on a nice round baking tray lined with baking paper). Cook at 180° in the middle part of the oven for about 15 – 18 minutes, the time until the loaves swell. At this point you can slice the cantucci with a blade, tarot or knife to a thickness of approximately 1 and a half – 2 cm; turn them over and cook in the oven for another 4 minutes on one side; then turn them over and cook for another 4 minutes on the other side. Remove from the oven and let cool! As soon as they come out of the oven they will seem hard, but let a few hours pass and you will see when you bite into them they will be fragrant and soft!

Credits: Giorgia Vigloone, Abruzzo recipes for all tastes, Facebook®