Chocolate-Pistachio Cantucci

Today we are in Italia, the land of my people, and I am making these cantucci (biscotti) that are absolutely to die for. I have been thinking about the word biscotti today, and I realized that it means twice cooked in Italian. 'Bis' meaning twice in Latin and 'cotto' meaning cooked. I always figured that Americans just took the word for cookie in Italian and used it for this specific Italian cookie, but, in actuality, it is the correct use of the word. I will not get into the fact that biscotti is a plural word and that Americans use it as a singular one (just like panini). In Italy, though, biscotti is used to refer to all cookies while 'cantucci' is used when speaking of these particular cookies.

Cantucci have been discovered twice in their long existence. The first time was during the height of the Roman empire. These cookies or biscuits were baked twice so that they would be dry and easy to travel long distances with. After the fall of the Roman empire there was a decline in culinary arts until the Renaissance period. In Tuscany during this time it is said that a local baker started making these twice baked cookies to serve with the region's sweet wines or Vin Santo at the end of meals. The almond cantucci of Tuscany became so popular in the cities of Prato and Florence where almond trees were abounding, that other regions started developing their own varieties.

The biscotto that I made today is not the traditional Tuscan variety made with almonds, but it is enticing just the same. The pistachios and the chocolate chips and cocoa powder make these biscotti so rich and flavorful.


I have never actually made these before, and it was a lot of fun to shape the huge ball of dough, cook it, cut it up, and cook it again, making my very own biscotti. When I was quite little I always wanted to have one of these when I went to coffee shops with my mom to dunk them in my soy milk steamers. I always imagined that the baker just baked the cookies too long, burning them, and that was why they were so hard. It is nice to finally make these after all the years of curiosity.

Chocolate-Pistachio Cantucci

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
1.2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture; beat to form stuff dough. Beat in pistachios and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, about 12x4 inches. Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 F.

4. On a cutting board, using a sharp knife, cut biscuit diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange cut sides down on baking sheets, bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.