I started reading Legends & Lattes because it combines my two favorite things: fantasy and food. I figured the book may lead me to some ideas for recipes, and I was pleasantly surprised by quite how much I adored Thimble - a humanoid mouse who does most of the baking throughout the book. I've rarely related to a character as much as this furry little artisan.
Thimble made many things, but his Thimblets are in my opinion his most notable creation:
“Thimble appeared before they opened the doors, another list clutched in his paws. It wasn’t particularly long. “Currants, walnuts, oranges… cardamom?” Viv asked with a puzzled expression. Thimble nodded ardently.”
The detailed ingredient list provided by the author allowed me to replicate the thimblets to the best of my ability. Thimblets, to my knowledge, are biscotti-like cookies meant to be dunked into coffee. I stuck to a classic biscotti base recipe and included every ingredient mentioned in the book. These thimblets are delicious.
Ingredients
- 175 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds
- 125 grams light brown sugar
- 1 orange, zested
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 85 grams dried currants
- 60 grams chopped walnuts
- Turbinado sugar for topping the thimblets
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Faranheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, cardamom, brown sugar, and orange zest - mix it together well, using your hands to break up any brown sugar lumps.
Stir in the beaten eggs with a large wooden spoon. Using your hands, bring the dough together until no floury bits remain. Work in the dried currants and walnuts until everything is evenly distributed.
Step 2
Divide the dough into two pieces, and lightly flour a non-stick surface. Shape each piece of dough into a 10 inch log. Carefully set the dough on the parchment lined baking sheet, spaced far apart. Set on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Remove the logs from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Transfer to a cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut into slices about a ½ inch thick on a diagonal. Lie the slices flat on the baking sheet and dust each one with turbinado sugar. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees fahrenheit and return the slices back to the oven.
Bake for another 20 minutes, turn them over dust with more turbinado, and then bake again for another 20 minutes. The thimblets should be dry and crunchy all the way through. Serve with a freshly pulled shot of espresso. Stored in a airtight container, thimblets will stay good for several weeks.