Meat Smoke Fire

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Cantucci

Cantucci

We love a good excuse to fire up the Big Green Egg for more than just meat —and these Cantucci, the classic Italian twice-baked almond biscuits, are a perfect example of how versatile your Egg can be. Traditionally from Tuscany, cantucci are crunchy, dry, and absolutely made for dunking—usually in vin santo, but we won’t judge if it’s coffee (or even rum or brandy).

The name comes from the Latin bis coctus, meaning “twice cooked,” and that’s exactly how they get their signature texture. First baked as a log, then sliced and baked again, they crisp up beautifully—especially when you let the Egg do its thing with a steady, even heat.

Authentic cantucci are simple—flour, sugar, eggs, and whole almonds. No butter, no oil. That’s what gives them their firm crunch and long shelf life. But don’t be fooled by the simplicity—these are packed with flavour, and perfect to keep in a jar for whenever you want a little something sweet with your post-dinner drink.

Let’s bake a batch the Italian way—with a little help from the Egg.

Cooking surfaces

Baking stone icon

BBQ Temperature

160C

Ingredients

  • 200g Type 00 flour
  • 100g sugar
  • 6g baking powder
  • 100g whole almonds (half crushed, half whole)
  • zest of ½ orange
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 2 tbsp water

Method

  1. Set your Egg for an indirect cook at 180°C with your stainless steel grid and baking stone.
  2. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Give them a stir.
  3. Add the honey, eggs and vanilla.
  4. Mix the ingredients together to form a dough. If it’s not wet enough, you can add a bit of water/orange juice from the orange.
  5. Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead gently to ensure all the flour is combined and the dough is smooth.
  6. Make into a log shape and place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
  7. Pop into the Egg and bake for 20 mins.  Remove from the Egg and allow to cool.  Cut into slices about 1.5 cm thick, on the diagonal; this just makes them look a bit prettier!
  8. Place the slices back on the baking tray and place back in the Egg for the second cook. Bake for about 5 minutes and then turn each piece over and bake for a final 5 to 10 minutes.
  9. Leave to cool and store in an airtight container.  These will last for a few days but in my experience they don’t hang around for very long.
  10. Top Tip: We’ve also prepared a batch, popped them in clear gift food bags, tied with ribbon and taken to friends as gifts.
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