[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

At Il Cantuccio, the bakery's namesake Prato-style biscotti are softer than traditional biscotti. The ingredients are simple, and there's no butter involved. Flour, sugar, eggs, almonds, and pine nuts bake up into a chewy, tender cookie with a golden surface, offered in a variety of flavors. There's Chocolate Chunk and Dried Fig, though my favorites are the classic Almond Cantucci, and Apricot Cantucci (pictured above), with a high ratio of fantastically plump, sweet apricots. While you're there, don't pass on the Bruttiboni, petite almond cookie mounds that are crisp on the outside, but chewy-soft on the inside. Grab a shot of espresso, a seat at one of the few tables tucked in the warm bakery, and it'll be an visit to remember. These sweets are pricey affairs at $7.50 per quarter pound—each biscotti ends up costing about $2 each. They are, however, very generous with samples, so take advantage!

Il Cantuccio

91 Christopher Street, New York, NY 10014 (map)
212-647-8787
ilcantuccionyc.com