The 2021 Great British Bake Off winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno’s latest book is full of his favourite Italian sweet treatsIn 1987 Mulino Bianco, a leading Italian producer of baked goods, launched Abbracci, a breakfast biscuit shaped as a two-colour ring, where the cocoa and cream-flavoured halves seem to charmingly ‘hug’ each other - abbracci means ‘hugs’ in Italian. They were an immediate success, and a few decades down the line they have become so popular that you would struggle to find an Italian who does not know and love them.
My recipe is simple - two portions of buttery and crumbly dough, one of which is flavoured with cocoa powder. This method makes the process messfree and straightforward.
The result is uncannily similar to the commercial counterpart, and I can guarantee that once you try them, you will not accept any other biscuit with your morning caffè latte.
MAKES 18
PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutes, plus resting and chilling
BAKING TIME: 20 minutes
- 100g unsalted butter, softened and diced
- 100g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- Pinch of salt
- 1 medium egg, at room temperature
- 190g double-zero or plain flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 15g cornflour
- 15g unsweetened cocoa powder
2. Put the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat them at high speed until pale and fluffy, about four to five minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg in a cup or a small jug, then add it to the bowl gradually, while still beating at high speed. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix on low speed until just combined.
3. Take the bowl off the mixer and divide the mixture equally between two bowls. Add the cornflour to one and the cocoa powder to the other, then gently knead them separately by hand to incorporate the powders. Wrap each dough ball in a sheet of clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, line
a baking tray with baking parchment or a silicone mat.
4. Once the dough has rested, divide each portion into 18 small, evenly sized balls (they should be about 12g each. Roll each ball with your hands into a 1.5cm thick noodle, about 8cm long. Join two noodles, one chocolate, one vanilla, end-to-end to form a two-coloured ring. Overlap the ends slightly and press them gently to secure them together. Arrange the biscuits on the lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Once the biscuits have chilled sufficiently bake them directly from the fridge for 18-20 minutes or until the vanilla portion starts to turn light brown. Allow to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Abbracci keep for up to a week in an airtight container.
Giuseppe’s Easy Bakes: Sweet Italian Treats by Giuseppe Dell’Anno is published by Quadrille, price £24.Rather leave the cooking to the experts? We can find you the perfect candidate; from Housekeepers to Gardeners, Nannies to Carers, we source only the most exceptional candidates for your home.
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