1. The evening before, add the raisins and rum to a small bowl and mix. Cover and let sit overnight.

2. Add flour, sugar (or xylitol), ground cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and mix to combine. Add butter, eggs, and vanilla paste and knead until smooth. Add the candied fruit, rum raisins, almonds, and pistachios and mix in – this works best by hand. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (max. 1 day).

3. Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 4 portions – if you had the dough in the fridge for longer, let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes first. Form each portion of dough into a thick roll/log (each about 7 inches long). Using a wooden spoon, dent the rolls lengthwise and flatten slightly on one side. Ideally, the cross-section now looks like the cross-section of a Christmas stollen – slightly higher on one side than the other. Wrap again in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Place the dough rolls with enough space in between on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.

5. Melt the butter for the coating. Remove the pre-baked Cantuccini from the oven and brush with the melted butter, dust with a bit of confectioners’ sugar. Let cool down for about 10-12 minutes, then cut diagonally with a serrated knife into thick slices. Place again on the baking sheet and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool down completely on a wire rack. Dust the tops of the Cantuccini again with a little confectioners’ sugar before serving.