Fishermen's Bread aka Pane del Pescatore aka Italian Scones are large cookies with hard shells and soft interiors. These are best made with nuts and fruit. If you don't like nuts and dried fruit, this might not be the cookie for you.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 5
Author Cookie Madness
Ingredients
1cupplus 2 T. sifted or weighed bread or type 00 flour150 grams
¼teaspoonsalt plus a pinch
¼teaspoonbaking powder
¼cupplus 1 tablespoon sugar60 grams
¼teaspooneach – orange and lemon zest or just lemon zest
3 ½tablespoonssoftened unsalted butter50 grams
1large eggbrought to room temperature (55 grams)
½teaspoonvanilla or use half vanilla and half Fiori di Sicilia
⅓cuptoasted chopped pecansmore if desired
⅓cupgolden raisins or dried cherries or whatever dried fruit you love
A little extra beaten whole egg for brushing
Extras: Handful of white chips or chopped white chocolatechopped toasted almonds, chocolate chips or miniature chocolate chips, pistachios, raisins, currants,
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and zest. Make sure all the dry ingredients are very thoroughly blended, then add the butter, egg and vanilla.
With the paddle on low, stir everything together, until blended stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Stir in the nuts and dried fruit and then use your hands to gently knead into a cohesive dough.
Shape mixture into 5 balls and arrange 3 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with extra beaten egg and sprinkle with more almonds if desired.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. This still give you dark edges and a soft and crumbly interior.If you’d like a crunchier cookie, bake for 20 minutes at 375, then reduce heat to 250 and bake for another 20 minutes. Let cool completely.