Apricot and pistachio cantuccini

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/ gas 5. Spread the nuts out over the prepared baking sheet (don’t mix them up at this stage) and toast for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Once they’re cool enough to handle, transfer 25g almonds to a pestle and mortar and grind to a coarse powder. Roughly chop the remaining nuts.
2. Tip all the nuts into a large mixing bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, caster and icing sugars, apricots and a pinch of fine salt.
3. Add the beaten eggs and stir with a wooden spoon until combined (it will take a few minutes to incorporate all the dry ingredients and form a dough).
4. Divide the dough in half and, working with wet hands, shape into 2 logs about 5cm wide. Put them on one of the baking sheets, spacing the logs well apart, then brush all over with a little beaten egg white.
5. Bake the dough logs for 16-18 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside for a few minutes to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 80°C/60°C fan/as low as your gas oven will go.
6. Transfer the logs to a chopping board then, using a bread knife, cut each diagonally into 1cm slices. Return the slices to the lined baking sheet(s), laying them on their sides. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, turning the slices halfway through. Transfer the cantuccini to a wire rack to cool completely.