'Gastone' gift box

Little hatbox with Prato Biscuits, Panforte and Ricciarelli

• Description

  The small "Gastone" Hat Box is a journey through the finest Tuscan confectionery traditions: Prato Almond Biscuits, also known as Cantucci or Cantuccini, accompanied by Panforte and Ricciarelli, two authentic masterpieces of the Sienese pastry tradition.
  Includes one 250 g pack of Prato Almond Biscuits, one 250 g Panforte and one 120 g pack of Ricciarelli.
  
  Prato Almond Biscuits are made with just five simple ingredients: flour, sugar, free-range eggs, almonds and pine nuts. They contain no preservatives, animal fats or vegetable fats. Commonly known as Cantucci or Cantuccini, they are one of Tuscany's most iconic traditional biscuits and are traditionally enjoyed at the end of a meal, paired with a glass of Vin Santo.
  
  Panforte is one of Siena's most iconic festive cakes, traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas season. Marabissi's Panforte is made by carefully baking a blend of premium ingredients, including flour, candied fruit, almonds, sugar, honey and spices. The Panforte created by Marabissi for Antonio Mattei is a unique interpretation that combines the two best-known styles: Panpepato and Panforte Margherita, the latter distinguished by the absence of caramelised sugar.
  The amount of caramel—made from genuine caramelised sugar rather than toppings or artificial flavourings—was carefully balanced, as was the original blend of spices, which includes star anise and allspice alongside the traditional ingredients. The result is a refined and harmonious combination of elegant spices, presented in our signature wrapping and finished with the classic hand-tied blue string.
  Icing sugar is intentionally not included, allowing the Panforte to be enjoyed exactly as it was created, without altering its original recipe. It is non-GMO and is the perfect festive dessert, delicious when paired with Vin Santo, sparkling wine, Aleatico wine or coffee.
  
  Soft, fragrant and rich in almonds, Ricciarelli are one of the most iconic sweets of the Sienese tradition. Made according to the classic recipe using selected almonds, sugar and egg whites, they are distinguished by their soft, slightly moist texture, delicate citrus aroma and characteristic dusting of icing sugar.

• History

  Since 1858 the Prato Biscuits have been baked daily and hand-packed one by one, in the classic Blu Mattei bag.
  
  The name Pan "Forte" probably derives from the fact that the fruit inserted into the dough tended to become "strong" over time (Tuscan, as with wine), the spices were therefore used as a preservative (covering) and the almonds were subsequently also used both to "soften" the taste ("strong" + spices) and to make the dessert more pleasing to the eye and in any case enrich it with a healthy and rich ingredient.
  
  For our Ricciarelli, we have chosen Marabissi, a historic company from Siena that has been preserving and passing down the authentic recipe for this extraordinary delicacy for over seventy years, crafting it for Antonio Mattei as well. Founded in the heart of Siena in the years following the Second World War, Marabissi is now recognised as one of Italy's leading artisan producers of Ricciarelli, Panforte and other traditional Sienese specialties.
  
  For three generations, Marabissi has been synonymous with passion for the art of traditional Italian pastry making.
  The history of Marabissi began more than sixty years ago with Tuscan 'cantucci' prepared according to an ancient recipe by Mrs. Jole.
  
  The hat boxes have been used by the Biscuit factory since the 1920s to ship our products.
  Common object in homes, up to the 1960s, for the non-accessory use of hats in men's and women's clothing up to that time; Ernesto Pandolfini thought of reusing the hat boxes as shipping boxes.
  Even today they are reusable collector boxes as containers for small objects.

• Sizes
  Diameter

  19.5 cm

  Height

  13.5 cm
• Notes

  Weight 0.9 kg with external shipping packaging.