Cavallucci are a rich Italian Christmas pastry prepared with anise, walnuts, candied fruits, coriander, and flour. They are Sienese in origin, and the name translates approximately to 'little horses'.^[1] The chewy biscuits traditionally use Tuscan millefiori honey as an essential ingredient in the dough.

The cookies were originally imprinted with the image of a horse (cavalli is the Italian term for 'horses').^[2] The cookies sold today are a gentrified version of a pastry which is traceable to the reign of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449–1492), when they were called biriquocoli.^[3]

Many hypotheses are associated with the origin of its name. According to the most popular version of the story, cavallucci were served to travelers on horseback as a source of nourishment for long trips.^[3] Along a similar vein, another speculation is that postal workers who delivered mail over long distances ate the cookies on a regular basis.^[1] Additionally surmised is that these sweets were the usual snack of servants who worked in horse stables of rich Italian aristocrats in Siena, a city which gained its fame for horse racing.

The pastry is often paired with sweet dessert wines, such as Vin Santo, and dipped into the wine before being eaten.^[3]