Cantucci
I always love some of these hard little biscuits in at Christmas - they help soak up liquer type drinks which tend to get proffered at this type of year although they are traditionally served with Vin Santo a very sweet white Italian Wine. Perhaps I am uncouth but I also love them with a nice hot Masawati Coffee, (hot strong coffee liberally laced with dark rum) Hot Cinnamon Chocolate or Milky white coffee. Their flavour goes well and they are more than a little moorish. They keep well in an air tight tin so make them in advance of the Christmas bake and it is one more less thing to do then. 4oz unblanched almonds (ones with their skins still on) 8oz plain flour 3 1/2 oz caster sugar 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 2 eggs beaten 1 egg white 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt Heat your oven to 190 degrees C; 375 degrees F or Gas Mark 5 and spread the almonds onto a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes. Let them cool down then chop half the amount coarsely and put this...