Una fetta, due fette, dieci fette – Fettine con mandorle della Signora Lucia

fettineweb

That is a traditional Italian “dry”cookie, maybe what is called in the US, “biscotti” – Biscotti in Italian literally means cookies, and is more a generic word for cookies than for that type of sliced bread shape with almonds.

Growing up, we loved to bake those and made them all year long, not for any particular occasion. There is always a container filled with fettine at my parents’ house to offer anyone who drops by to have a coffee since that’s what people do, they stop by for a coffee and chit chat. Thing that no one has ever done in my house, stop by for a coffee, maybe that’s not an American thing. Besides Starbucks is right around the corner. They opened a few Starbucks in Paris and people love it. I think Starbucks concept of what they serve is more what I call a dessert rather than coffee, sure they do sell coffee but the large variety of the other items on their menu is definitely dessert-type of drink.

Like any other cookies, those can be stored in a air-tight container for a long time, so when you have a made a batch, you have enough biscotti to entertain half an army. Those are great with coffee or tea, you can also dip them in sweet white wine, or Vin Santo which is a Tuscan dessert wine (and also available in the US).

Ingredients for about 30 fettine

  • 14 oz (or 400 g) flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 7.5 oz (or 200 g) sugar
  • 7.5 oz (or 200 g) whole almonds unpeeled
  • 1.76 oz (or 50 g) butter, melted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbs anise seeds or zest of 1 orange

Preparation

In a mixing container mix flour and baking powder, then add sugar, eggs and butter. Add orange zest or anise seeds, and almonds at the end. Roll the dough to get 2 baguettes shape and bake in oven for 30 min at 360F.

Remove from the oven, let it cool a little and slice while still hot in small slices about 1 cm thick (0.4 inches). Place them back on your tray and put in the oven to let it dry for another 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it cool and place in air-tight container.