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Cavalucci Di Italia (Nut cakes of Italy)

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Submitted by Rayvenn

Traditional Tuscan cavallucci spice cookies built from a hot sugar syrup kneaded with walnuts, candied orange peel, and warm spices like clove, anise, and cinnamon. Chewy, perfumed, and unmistakably medieval.

YIELD

36 servings

PREP

15 min

COOK

30 min

READY

45 min

Cavallucci come from Siena, where they’ve been baked the same way since the Renaissance. The name comes from “cavallo” (horse), originally a sweet that fed couriers and stablehands traveling Tuscan roads. They’re not soft sugar-cookie sweet, they’re chewy, dense, and unmistakably medieval, perfumed with walnuts, candied orange peel, and a warm spice trio of clove, cinnamon, and star anise.

The technique sets them apart from any modern cookie. Instead of creaming butter and sugar, you boil sugar with water until it spins a thread (around 230°F / 110°C), then knead the hot syrup into flour, nuts, and spices. The hot sugar partially cooks the flour and lets the spices bloom, creating a dense, chewy cookie that holds its perfume for weeks. They were originally made for travel and they keep beautifully in a tin. Pair them with sweet vin santo for a true Sienese finish to a meal.

Chef Tips

  • Use a candy thermometer to hit the thread stage (around 230°F / 110°C). Underdone syrup makes a wet, gummy dough; overdone caramelizes too far and turns brittle.
  • Knead the dough quickly while still warm. As the syrup cools the dough stiffens and becomes hard to work.
  • Roll the dough thin, around ¼ inch (6 mm), so the cookies bake evenly. Thicker cookies stay raw in the middle.
  • Store in an airtight tin, layered between sheets of parchment. They actually improve after a day or two as the spices settle.

Variations

  • Swap walnuts for chopped almonds, or use a mix of both for a different nutty profile.
  • Add a splash of orange-flower water or grated lemon zest to the dough for floral notes.
  • Drizzle finished cookies with a thin lemon glaze for a more festive presentation.

Ingredients

2 473
1 237
CUP ML BROWN SUGAR *
1 237
CUP ML WALNUTS
chopped
79
CUP ML CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
chopped *
0.6
TEASPOON ML NUTMEG
0.6
TEASPOON ML CINNAMON
0.6
TEASPOON ML CLOVES
ground
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML STAR ANISE
½ 118
CUP ML WATER
hot

Directions

Cook the sugar and water together until the syrup spins a thread.

Remove from heat and add the nuts, spices and orange peel.

Add the flour and knead into a smooth dough.

Roll thin, cut into small squares or round shapes and bake at 350℉ (180℃) until light brown, 8 to 12 minutes.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 14g (0.5 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 421 41% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 3mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 17%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars g
Protein 28g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 3% Iron 22%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Good source of fiber, Sodium-Free, Low Sodium
 

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