Christmas is around the corner and all I am thinking about is cookies and cakes and alcohol-free gluhwein (Oh yeah! That’s a thing too). The aroma of baked cookies and cakes at home makes you feel festive. This time we decided to make healthier Christmas cookies so that we could binge on them guilt-free. One of our all-time favorite cookies is – Almond Biscotti (Italian Almond Cantuccini). They are hard, crispy, and full of almonds in every bite.
This Almond and Cranberry Biscotti (Cantuccini) recipe has no refined flour, sugar, or butter. We made it healthier and vegan by using healthy and easily available substitutes. So, bring on the festivities by baking these aromatic and flavorful Almond and Cranberry Biscotti.
Story Time
This recipe has an extremely special memory. When we both moved to our first home in Germany, we had nothing in our home except for our clothes and a few utensils that we brought from India. We both were very excited to start our new life in this new home in a new country. We both went out to explore the markets nearby and buy something to eat. That’s when we picked up a packet of Almond Cantuccini (Almond Biscotti). We came back to our home, started setting up the new place and in the evening we opened up the pack of biscotti. We had one. Then one more. Then another piece. Before we knew it, the pack was finished.
These cookies were hard and crispy but the flavor and aroma were addictive. We never had such tasty cookies. It was something new for us. Randomly, we checked the ingredients. Oh boy! It had eggs. We don’t eat eggs. Then our search began to find eggless Cantuccini. We failed! It was extremely difficult to find eggless biscuits or cookies in Munich. And that’s when we decided to bake it at home. And while we were baking, we decided to make it healthier so that we could have them guilt-free.
What is Cantuccini (or Biscotti)?
Cantuiccini (also Cantucci) is one of the most popular traditional Italian biscuits that is loaded with Almonds. Hence, the name – Almond Cantuccini. Although, you can even make them with your choice of nuts. It is also known as Biscotti which means double baking. To make these cookies, you need to bake them two times. First, you make a log of the dough and bake it for some time. Then you cut it into pieces (oblong-shaped) and bake again until hard and crispy.
Because they are baked two times, the texture is dry, hard, and crispy. It will snap on breaking. You can dip it in milk or coffee to get the ultimate pleasure.
Tips to bake them perfectly
- Sifting: Sifting the dry ingredients is very important. Sometimes your sugar or flour contains some tiny lumps that are unnoticeable. And it gets difficult to form a smooth dough if they have any lumps.
- Room temperature ingredients: Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. We do not want extra soft or hard butter for the recipe. Take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking.
- Overmixing: Overmixing the dough is another problem that results in hard and unpleasant cookies. It even develops gluten that results in flaky cookies. To prevent that, mix only until you do not see any dry flour in the bowl.
- Cutting: This is a crucial part. If not done correctly, you will end up with broken cookies and crumbs. To avoid that, we prefer to let the dough cool for around 25 minutes after first baking. That sets the dough and when you cut it using a sharp knife, you get clean pieces and fewer crumbs.
What is the texture of Cantuccini (or Biscotti)?
Cantuccini or biscotti are dry, hard, and very crispy cookies. They snap on breaking.
How to store Almond and Cranberry Biscotti?
You can put these cookies in an air-tight container and leave them on the counter for around 2 weeks (or more).
Can we freeze the cookie dough?
You can refrigerate the cookie dough for 4 to 5 days. It develops more flavor.
You can even put it in a zip-lock back and freeze it for up to a month (or more). When you want to bake cookies, put the dough in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to soften, and then roll and bake them.
Is this recipe vegan-friendly?
Yes. All the ingredients used in this recipe are plant-based and vegan. You can either use dairy or vegan milk. It is your choice.
Ingredients List
Cooking Method
More cookies – just as good
- Chocolate Filled Butter Cookies (Shaun The Sheep Cookies)
- 100% Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cookies
- 1 Dough, Many Cookies – Butter Almond Cookies
- Eggless Christmas Cookies with vegan royal icing decoration
- Eggless Peppernut Cookies
Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make these crispy and tasty Christmas cookies at home. It is perfect to make in this festive season and grab all the attention, appreciation, and love from your family and friends. they will be surprised to know that they are eating healthy cookies with pleasure.
If you try this recipe and like it too, please share the photo of your creation on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.
Happy Cooking 🙂
Love from us
Richa
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