A Short History of this Italian Almond Cookie Recipe They consist of a luscious glob of chocolate ganache, sandwiched between two tender but crumbly pieces of almond shortbread. However, the prize for most charming goes for the adorably named “Baci di Dama” (Ladies’ Kisses). These cookies get better as they age so plan on making them the day before you are ready to serve them.The most famous Italian almond cookie recipe is surely the amaretto.I highly recommend when baking to measure ingredients with a scale for even more accurately baked goods, including these cookies.Use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven temperature is accurate.Wet your hands to prevent it from sticking when shaping the cookies. Add a touch of rice flour to bind things together. If you find it’s too sticky to handle, the egg whites may have been a little big. The size of the eggs with determine how sticky the dough is.Plan accordingly: the dough needs to rest at least 12 hours in the fridge before being shaped into cookies and baked.They will still be soft and moist and seem undercooked but they will set to the correct consistency when cool. Gently roll the shaped cooking in the remaining powdered sugar (or sift it directly onto the cookies already placed on the baking sheet) and return to the baking sheet or generously sift the powdered sugar directly on top of the cookies. Lightly wet your hands with water and ever so lightly pat each cookie.Place the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet, spaced about 1.5 inches (4 cm) apart. If the dough is sticking, lightly wet your hands. Shape the dough with your hands into an oval shape, with slightly pointed ends, about ⅓ inch (1 cm) thick.If the dough is too sticky to handle, ddd a touch of rice flour to bind things together. Roll the dough into a log, about 1 inch in diameter. Meanwhile, lightly dust your work surface with powdered sugar.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours.

Add the powdered sugar, almond flour, extracts and orange zest and mix well until the dough comes together.

Whisk the egg whites with just a drop of lemon juice until foamy, a minute or two.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Ricciarelli

2 cups + 1 tablespoon (200 grams) almond flour or whole blanched almonds (skins removed), ground finely into flour.

1 ½ cups sugar (150 grams) powdered sugar, + ½-1 cup for dusting.

2 egg whites, at room temperature (not large, just regular eggs).

Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Cookies) Ingredients Buy them in a tin if you can for better travel. Good To Know: Ricciarelli make great souvenirs because they pack well and last longer than other varieties of cookies.

Panificio Il Magnifico – Via Pellegrini 27, 53100, Siena – not only a great bakery for riccarelli but for all senese treats such as panforte.

Nannini – Via Banchi di Sopra, 24, 53100 Siena – a historic bar and cafe in the city center that won’t disappoint.

If you are traveling to Siena and would like to taste the very best of the best than check out our two favorite locations: Good To Know: Ricciarelli stay fresh for up to 1 month, making them a great cookie to give as a gift during the holidays! Where to Buy Ricciarelli in Siena Nowadays, you can find them year round (even outside of Siena) but the best ones are made during the Christmas holiday in Siena.įact: Ricciarelli are naturally gluten-free cookies. They are made from almond flour, egg whites, sugar, and flavored with orange zest.

Ricciarelli are gluten-free Italian almond cookies from Siena, most typically served during Christmas time. Listen to the pronunciation of ricciarelli: What Are Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Cookies)? Homemade ground almond flour Ricciarelli is pronounced rich-chah-rehl-lee in Italian Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Cookies) FAQ.Ricciarelli – Italian Almond Cookies (Gluten-Free).Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Ricciarelli.Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Cookies) Ingredients.What Are Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Cookies)?.