Difficulty: */*****

Servings: 4 people

Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

- 500 gr di Flour - 250 gr di Sugar - 150 gr di Butter - 200 gr di Almonds - 4 Eggs - Baking powder (1 sachet)

Preparation:

The biscuits of Prato, also known as ' Cantucci ' or ' Cantuccini ', are crunchy biscuits with almonds usually soaked in a glass of Vinsanto when tasted. The shop "Biscuits Antonio Mattei", founded in 1858, still exists in Prato, via Ricasoli 22. It was awarded at the Italian Exhibition of Firenze (in 1861) and at the Exposition Universelle(1867) in Paris for his original recipe. 1) Melt 150 gr of butter in a bain-marie. 2) In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and 3 eggs (let one aside for topping the biscuits). If necessary add a little flour so that the dough is soft, elastic but not sticky. 3) Add the almonds. 4) Divide the dough into long, thin loaves approximately one finger thick. 5) Brush the loaves with the egg and put them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. 6) Remove from the oven and cut the loaves diagonally with a bread knife. Width should be about 1.5 cm. 7) Put back in the oven the "bis-cotti" for about 5 minutes till they get cripy and golden.