Olive oil & almond cantucci biscuit with chocolate and fig
This is another delight from Eve Seeman, Head Chef at Apricity, a Michelin Green Star restaurant in the heart of Mayfair with an ethos of conscious cooking and joyful dining.
If you thought extra virgin olive oil was only for savoury cooking, this recipe is here to change your mind.
These biscuits are traditionally, and deliciously, enjoyed with coffee. But they're also a great accompaniment to other sweet treats, such as this fig leaf & bitter chocolate cremeux—a rich, velvety dessert.
Enjoy the final days of fig season and settle into autumn with a little indulgence.
Here's the method for the cantucci biscuit:
Makes 10-12 biscuits
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt).
- Add the eggs and the orange zest.
- Knead until it forms a cohesive ball of pastry.
- Incorporate the almonds to the mix, evenly dispersing them through the pastry.
- Split the mixture in half an roll into two logs.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 10/15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cut the logs in diagonal slices to make biscuits and lay the slices back flat, face side up onto the tray.
- Bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and drizzle over your Greek EVOO straight away, allowing it to soak into the biscuits while they're still warm.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!
Here's the method for the cremeux:
Serves 4
- Add the milk, cream & fig leaves to a pan and bring to the boil.
- Allow to infuse for 5/10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl mix the egg yolks and sugar until well combined.
- Pour and mix a little of the hot milk mixture onto the egg yolk and sugar mixture. This is a technique known as tempering, and it allows the eggs to combine without scrambling!
- Add the tempered egg mix into the pan of hot milk and cream and cook very gently, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the chocolate and mix until it is fully melted.
- Pour into little bowls or ramekins and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Enjoy with a garnish of fresh figs, a good drizzle of our Greek extra virgin olive oil and chopped almonds.
Tip:
If, unlike us, you have excellent self control then these biscuits can keep very well for a couple of weeks in a closed container. Alternatively, if you'd like another reason for a biscuit, they make an excellent treat for your morning coffee.
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