You will need: Firebricks/spacer grate
Working hours: 20 minutes
Baking time: approx. 20 minutes + 5-8 minutes roasting time

Preheating: approx. 30 minutes
Top heat: approx. 220-250°C
Fireclay brick: approx. 160-180°C

In the BOBBY:
Preheating: approx. 10-15 minutes
Top heat: approx. 200-220°C
Fireclay brick: approx. 140-160°C

Ingredients (for approx. 50 pieces)

• 250 g wheat flour type 405
• 150 g sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tsp gingerbread spice (e.g. Grandma's gingerbread spice from Föhr Genussmanufaktur)
• 30 g soft butter
• 2 eggs (size M)
• 10 ml Arancello or Grand Marnier
• Zest from an untreated orange
• 70 g walnuts
• 70 g chocolate drops

In addition:

• 1 egg yolk

Knead the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, gingerbread spice, butter, eggs and Arancello into a smooth dough. Knead the orange zest, walnuts and chocolate drops into the dough and shape into a flat cake.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for 1 hour.

Then divide into 2 equal pieces and shape them into long rolls with a diameter of approx. 3 cm on a lightly floured work surface.

During this time, heat the Merklinger to approx. 220-250°C (BOBBY approx. 200-220°C).

Line a baking tray with a baking mat.

Place the dough rolls on the tray with a little space between them. Whisk the egg yolk and brush the rolls with it. Place the tray on the spacer rack on the fireclay bricks in the hot Merklinger. Pre-bake the dough rolls for approx. 20 minutes.

Remove from the Merklinger and leave to cool on the tray. Then cut diagonally into approx. 1 cm thick slices with a serrated knife.

Now place the cantuccini directly on the firebricks with the cut surface facing upwards (temperature of the firebricks: 140-160°C) and bake for another 5-8 minutes until light brown. Turn the cookies once during this time.

Remove the cantuccini from the Merklinger and leave to cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Then store in well-sealed, airtight tins so that they do not become soft.

Tip: Liebevoll verpackt mit hübschen Etiketten sind die Cantuccini ein tolles selbstgemachtes Geschenk aus deiner „Feuerküche“. Wer hat schon Kekse aus dem Holzbackofen?

You can download the labels here:

Tip: For even more roasted flavors, you can roast the walnuts in the Merklinger beforehand.

Tip: You can also replace the walnuts with pistachios, hazelnuts or almonds.
Instead of chocolate drops, you can also use dried fruit to refine your cookies.