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Ricciarelli (Soft Italian Almond Cookies)
Ricciarelli are soft Italian almond cookies from Siena, in the heart of Tuscany. They have a distinctive texture: crisp and cracked on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.Ricciarelli are made with simple ingredients: almond flour, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla. They are oval-shaped, slightly flattened, and dusted generously with powdered sugar, which creates their characteristic rough, crackled surface once baked.
Ingredients
- 250 g almond flour - about 2 ½ cups
- 2 large egg whites
- 200 g powdered sugar - about 1⅔ cups, plus more for coating
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine the egg whites and vanilla extract and mix with a wooden spoon until lightly blended. Add the almond flour and stir until the mixture starts to come together.TIP: If you are using whole almonds instead of almond flour, grind blanched, skinless almonds in a food processor until very fine. Pulse in short intervals to avoid overheating the almonds, which would release oils and affect the texture of the dough.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix well. The dough will become thick and sticky. At this point, switch to using your hands and knead gently until you get a smooth, compact dough.
- Form the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. This resting time is essential to allow the flavors to develop and the dough to firm up.
- After resting, generously dust your work surface with powdered sugar. Shape the dough into a log, about 4 cm (1½ inches) thick.
Shape the Ricciarelli Cookies
- Cut it into slices about 1.5 cm (½ inch) thick.
- Gently shape each slice into an oval, slightly flattening it.
- Coat each cookie generously with powdered sugar.TIP: Do not shake off the excess, as this creates the characteristic cracked surface of Ricciarelli cookies.
- Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each one.
Bake the Ricciarelli Cookies
- Bake in a preheated static oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 15 minutes. The cookies should remain pale, with a cracked surface and a soft center.
- Once out of the oven, the Ricciarelli will still be very soft. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet; as they cool, they will set while staying tender inside.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 4mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.4mg
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