Ingredients (for 10 pinecones)
For the dough
300 g of Type 00 Soft Wheat Flour
30 g of bitter cocoa
2 g of flaked salt
110 g of icing sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
160 g of cold butter
1 egg 

For the salted caramel
200 g of fresh cream
160 g of caster sugar
80 g of butter
2/3 g of flaked salt 

Directions
After sifting flour and bitter cocoa into a large bowl, add salt and icing sugar and mix vigorously. Also add the butter cut into cubes and the vanilla extract, and continue working the dough with a flat whisk or your hands. When the dough has reached a sandy consistency, add the egg and continue to knead it to a firm consistency. Then form a sausage, cut it into portions of about 40 g and flatten them slightly with a rolling pin or the palm of your hand. Sprinkle a little rice flour on a wooden mould, then push the ball of dough in with your fingertips and spread it until the entire inside is coated, removing any excess. Once you have shaped all the edges of the mould, turn it upside down on the work surface and tap it gently to release the biscuit. You can also help with your hands, but take your time so as not to damage the dough forms. Set the oven to 160°C in static mode, and bake ten pinecones at a time for 16/18 minutes, keeping them well apart. For optimal baking of your biscuits, we recommend a micro-perforated baking tray covered with a micro-perforated mat. After the first baking time has elapsed, open the oven door slightly and allow the biscuits to dry for about 10 to 15 minutes in a static oven set at 100°C. Repeat the same procedure for the second batch of pinecones. In the meantime, prepare the salted caramel: in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan, melt the caster sugar over medium-low heat, not stirring with any utensils but swirling the pan to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Separately, heat some cream. Once the sugar has caramelised, add the hot cream several times and stir with a whisk. Do not worry if this causes steam. Once the mixture is smooth, turn off the heat and add the cubed butter and salt, then stir with a whisk and leave to cool. Allow to cool in the fridge. As a last step, whip the caramel with a whisk to obtain a light froth, then pour it into a pastry bag and dispense a portion onto a biscuit, drawing a serpentine shape. Close with another biscuit and repeat the operation until you have 10 filled pinecones. Serve at room temperature. 
If kept in the fridge or freezer, the biscuits will keep for several days.



In collaboration with L'Ultima Fetta