Carquinyolis are hard, crunchy Catalan almond biscuits made from a simple egg, sugar and flour dough studded with whole skin-on almonds and scented with lemon and cinnamon. They are baked twice, like biscotti, and are meant for dunking in sweet wine or coffee. Makes 40 cookies in about 1 hr 55 min.
Prep25 min
Cook40 min
Cooling50 min
Total
1 hr 55 min
Yield
40 cookies
Ingredients
Adjust yield
cookies
Scales from a half to a double batch; bake the extra trays in rounds.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl whisk the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, lemon zest and fine salt.
Beat the eggs lightly, add them to the dry ingredients and stir until a thick, sticky dough forms. Work in the whole raw almonds with your hands.
Turn the dough onto a floured counter, divide it in half and, with floured hands, shape each half into a flat log about 30 cm (12 inches) long and 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) wide. Place both logs on the baking sheet well apart and brush the tops with the egg yolk.
Bake until the logs are firm, cracked and light golden, 25 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes and lower the oven to 325°F (165°C).
With a serrated knife, slice the warm logs on a slight diagonal into strips about 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) thick, cutting straight down through the almonds.
Lay the slices cut side down on the baking sheet and bake again until dry and golden on the cut faces, 12 to 15 minutes, turning them once halfway. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 20 minutes; they crisp fully as they cool, about 20 minutes.
Tips
Slice the logs while they are still warm; once cold they crumble around the almonds.
Use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut cleanly through the whole almonds.
For extra-hard, long-keeping carquinyolis, leave them in the switched-off oven with the door ajar for 15 minutes after the second bake.
Do not taste the raw dough; it contains raw egg and raw flour.
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How long does it take to make carquinyolis (catalan almond biscotti)?
Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking, plus 50 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 40 cookies.
How should I store carquinyolis (catalan almond biscotti)?
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
Can I make carquinyolis (catalan almond biscotti) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Carquinyolis are a traditional Catalan biscuit, most associated with central Catalonia, Barcelona and Tarragona: a lemon-scented dough packed with whole skin-on almonds, baked in a log, sliced and baked again until crunchy. Serve it with sweet muscat wine or espresso.
Variations
Mini carquinyolis: shape 4 logs 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) wide and bake 18 to 20 minutes, then 8 to 10 minutes after slicing, for about 70 small biscuits.
Cinnamon-sugar tops: sprinkle the egg-yolk-brushed logs with 2 tbsp (25 g) sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground cinnamon before the first bake.
Hazelnut carquinyolis: replace the almonds with 200 g (1 1/2 cups) whole toasted hazelnuts.
Orange version: use 4 g (2 tsp) grated orange zest instead of the lemon zest.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 40 servings this recipe makes.
84Calories / serving
3.1gFat
12.4gCarbs
2.3gProtein
5.8gSugar
Whole recipe (40 servings):
~3360 cal ·
124g fat ·
496g carbs ·
92g protein ·
232g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Recipe Rating
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