They are inspired by a recipe found in a Tuscan cookbook from the turn of the century, Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen. This wonderful little book of vegetable recipes was originally published in 1899, though it's still in print. It’s written by English historian and Florentine expatriate Janet Ross, and includes recipes from her cook, Giuseppe Volpi. <br /> <br />The book’s recipe for bean croquettes calls for 1 quart of dried beans (which would equal nearly 6 pounds, or 3 kilos, of cooked beans), which are cooked, mashed, and mixed with plenty of butter, a dash of vinegar, and some lemon balm before being crumbed and fried in butter. <br /> <br />I loved the hint of vinegar and minty lemon balm perfuming the earthy, creamy cannellini beans, though I did adjust the recipe so it uses a smaller quantity of beans and grated Parmesan instead of butter. You could also use other herbs if lemon balm is difficult to find. I also found that pan-frying these delicate croquettes in a little butter and oil held together better than deep frying in oil. The result is a crunchy on the outside, smooth and creamy on the inside croquette, which would be perfect as part of an antipasto platter.

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