20+ ways to enjoy Mattei's Prato almond biscuits

The usual things to do, the usual things to eat, the usual pairings,  they bore me.
And with this summer heat, they bore me even more.
It's no coincidence that here in Tuscany, when someone is a bit boring, we say: "mi fai afa!!" ("you're giving me mugginess!")
So, to fight both the heat and the boredom, I started putting together a list, thinking of every possible way to enjoy our biscuits at their best.
From the most classic to the most unusual, here it is, for anyone of you in the mood to experiment:

1 Still warm straight out of the oven, soft and wonderfully fragrant! Possible if you come visit the workshop, or at our Prato shop during the month of December.

2 Just as they are: plain, dry, crunchy and crumbly at the bite.

3 Paired with Vin Santo: a bite and a sip, as classic Tuscan tradition dictates, until the bag runs out — or your appetite does.

4 Dipped in Vin Santo or another sweet dessert wine: dunked for a moment and eaten as in the more popular, indulgent tradition.

6 On summer days, keeping the Vin Santo in the fridge is allowed.

7 Unusual, but just as valid: pairing with red wine (Tuscan, ideally) — at the end of a meal, when there's a little wine left in the glass, why not!

8 With espresso. It sounded like heresy, but it's actually a wonderful little treat — try it to believe it! With caffè latte.

9 With caffè latte.

10 With yogurt, vanilla for preference, and a drizzle of honey.

11 Crumbled and used as a base for cheesecake.

12 Inside the ice cream! Our friends at Vivoli even created a flavor around it. And they weren't the first, nor the last — many gelato makers in Prato include the Mattei biscuit among their flavors.

13 With Vin Santo–flavored ice cream cream.

14 With hot tea, sipping and nibbling.

15 Or with iced tea on summer days.

16 With a smooth grappa (the rule here: alternate one bite with one small sip).

17 Kept in the freezer for three hours and served frozen. A real delight in summer!

18 With a spreadable cheese mousse and cognac(?). I don't remember this one for certain, but I'll let you know.

19 The Dai Dai cassatina, with Mattei almond biscuits dipped in cream gelato, half-coated in chocolate.

20 With mascarpone cream. (Some people use our biscuits to make tiramisù! They've named it "cantucciamisù.") With hot chocolate, dipped quickly.

21… and finally: however you like it! We're curious: how do you eat yours?
Send us your favorite pairings so we can add them to our list!

Happy holidays from me, from my brothers, and from the whole Biscottificio Mattei staff.

PS: a reminder that our shops will be closed from August 9th through 31st, inclusive.

Gift for you: throughout August, you can shop our Online Store with a 15% discount, with deliveries to your home in September.

Letizia Pandolfini