How to make abbracci – Italian ‘hug’ biscuits

These huggie biscuits (biscotti abbracci) combine light vanilla dough with dark cocoa for a crisp, buttery treat. Sweet, simple and perfect with coffee, they’re Italy’s most charming biscuit.

For a country so devoted to coffee, Italy has surprisingly few biscuits made specifically to go with it. The abbraccio, meaning ‘hug’, is a joyful exception. One half of the biscuit is flavoured with cocoa, the other with vanilla, twisted together in a neat embrace that’s as pretty on the plate as it is satisfying to eat.

Crisp-edged, lightly sugared and buttery, they’re exactly the sort of thing you’d hope to find beside your morning cappuccino or afternoon caffè macchiato.

The combination of chocolate and vanilla might sound more Swiss pâtisserie than rustic Italian, but biscotti abbracci have found a permanent place on kitchen tables across the country.

Like many modern Italian chocolate treats, they’re the product of a culture that’s slowly shifted from revering chocolate as a standalone delicacy to folding it into home baking, still with care, but with growing enthusiasm.

Simple to make and easy to love, these biscuits are ideal for sharing — or for keeping to yourself with a good espresso and a quiet five minutes.

Huggie biscuits | Biscotti abbracci

➤ SERVES: 4
➤ PREPARATION: 15 minutes
➤ BAKING: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 200g softened butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 1 heaped tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt
• 350g plain flour
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• Granulated sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Whisk the butter and the sugar until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Add the egg yolks, the baking powder, the vanilla and the salt and continue mixing. Add the flour and mix with a spatula until you have a smooth, soft dough.
2. Divide the dough into two bowls, and in one, add the cocoa powder. Mix until you have a uniform colour. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.
3. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/Gas Mark 3.
4. Roll balls of each dough into finger-thick snakes about 20-25 cms long. Twist them together and form into a horseshoe shape, just gently connecting the ends. Place onto the baking sheet. Continue until you have used all the dough.
5. Dust with a little extra sugar and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until crisp on the outside. Allow plenty of time to cool before serving.