Olive oil tozzetti are biscuits typical of the Lazio and Umbria regions of Italy. They are very similar to cantucci and can be dipped in wine, milk, or tea, but unlike cantucci, they don’t require double baking. The texture of tozzetti is more elastic because the dough can include almonds, hazelnuts, or—as in this recipe—candied fruit, making room for several variations.

I used my recipe for preparing home-made candied oranges to boost their fragrance; the olive oil ensures they’re crispy and golden on the outside while remaining soft at the heart.

A very easy recipe that doesn’t require much manual skill—just shaping small balls with your hands.

Preparation: 30 min | Cooking: 18 min

Ingredients:

• Flour  480 grams
• Egg 1
• Cane sugar  170 grams
• Candied oranges or mixed candied fruits  100 grams
• Olive oil  100 grams
• Water 70 grams
• Organic lemon  1
• Organic orange  1
• Baking powder  16 grams
• Salt  1 pinch

Decoration:

• Icing sugar 3 tablespoons
• Almonds or other candied fruit  to taste

Cost estimate:

Total recipe cost: $6.31 (using the recipe cost of this recipe for home-made candied oranges).

Method:

Pour the candied fruit and sugar into a food processor and blend, then add the egg, sugar, olive oil, water, grated zest of the citrus fruits and blend until you get a smooth dough.

In a bowl, pour the flour, salt, and baking powder, then add the mixture you prepared in the food processor. Knead to combine the ingredients, adding more water as needed.

Form a ball, wrap it in parchment paper, and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

After that time, preheat the oven to 180°C. Then shape the dough into small balls weighing approximately 20 g each and insert an almond or a piece of candied orange in the center of each one.

Arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180°C for 15 without fan and 18 minutes with fan.

When they are cool, dust with icing sugar.

Your Olive Oil Tozzetti Biscuits are ready!

Tips

You can use vegetal milk instead of water.

If you do not have a food blender you can chop candied fruits using a knife and go ahead with the procedure using a bowl, a whisk, and then hand kneading.

Store tozzetti cookies in a sealed box for 1 week.