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Cavallucci
Honey walnut aniseed biscuits
Cavallucci di Siena: chewy honey, walnut and aniseed Christmas biscuits
Cavallucci are Siena's humbler Christmas biscuit, sold beside ricciarelli and panforte in every pastry shop from Advent onward. They are pale, chewy and craggy, made from honey, sugar, flour, walnuts, candied orange and aniseed, with no butter or eggs, so they are dairy free and keep for weeks. Sienese families dunk them in vin santo after dinner, but they are just as good with coffee or hot milk. Chef's tip: cook the honey and sugar syrup only until it threads, then mix fast; if it goes further it sets the dough rock hard.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
- 7 oz granulated sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz honey
- ¼ cup water
- 3 ½ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 2 ⅛ oz candied orange peelfinely chopped
- 1 tsp aniseedlightly crushed
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and line two trays.
Step 2: Put 7 oz granulated sugar, 2 ⅛ oz honey and ¼ cup water in a pan and warm, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2–3 minutes until a drop pulled between finger and thumb (careful, cool it first) forms a short thread.
5 minStep 3: Take off the heat and stir in 3 ½ oz walnuts, 2 ⅛ oz candied orange peel, 1 tsp aniseed and ½ tsp ground cinnamon.
Step 4: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder and tip it into the warm syrup, stirring hard with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a stiff, sticky dough. Leave until cool enough to handle.
Step 5: With floured hands roll walnut-sized pieces into balls and flatten them slightly into thick ovals. Set them 3 cm apart on the trays.
Step 6: Bake for 18–20 minutes, until set and dry but still pale; the bottoms should be barely coloured. A common mistake is waiting for them to brown, which makes them too hard to bite.
20 minStep 7: Cool on the trays. They harden as they cool and soften again after a day in a tin.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cavallucci take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas