There are not many real Tuscan desserts but those that do exist are nearly always linked to some form of religious celebration, e.g. Carnival, Easter, Christmas. They include sweet flat breads and cakes, rice and semolina puddings and biscuits. Since the Middle Ages, Tuscans have flavored many of their cakes with aniseed (such as the bucellato, Lucca’s most famous cake) as it not only gave flavor but was also thought to ward off evil spells. Innumerable Tuscan cakes are also made with chestnuts and chestnut flour – castagnaccio being the most traditional.

In Lucchesia roasted chestnuts sprinkled with grappa often end an autumn dinner. One of the most well known of Tuscan biscuits is cantucci which are made with almonds and are so hard that they are always dipped in a glass of Vin Santo before being eaten.

Biscotti (Or Cantucci) - Twiced Baked Almond Biscuits

These famous biscuits from Prato, a town near Florence, are closely associated with the sweet dessert wine, Vin Santo. The sophisticated almond-shaped biscuits are usually accompanied by a glass of Vin Santo and are often served for dessert or after-dinner accompaniment.


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