Ricciarelli (Sienese Almond Cookie)

By paperplategourmet

This is a recipe for an almond cookie served in Siena especially during Christmas. The diamond shape they are formed into is reminiscent of the Madonna's eyes. They are light with the consistency somewhere between marzipan and French macarons.

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour/ground almonds/almond meal(add more if dough is too soft)
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract (or more)
• additional icing sugar for rolling the cookies once formed

Details

Servings 36
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 30mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

Beat egg whites until stiff and then beat almond extract into them.

Mix egg whites into dry ingredients (doing this by hand works best). The dough should have the consistency of a firm cookie dough and hold its shape in a ball. It will be slightly tacky once fully mixed but not wet.

For balls of dough (roughly 1 tablespoon).

Roll them in icing sugar.

Flatten and pinch and push the dough into a diamond shape. You can also leave them as balls and bake, skipping this step but the end product won't be nearly as pretty.

Bake on a lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and tops show the faintest signs of turning gold.

Cool completely on sheets.

They freeze extremely well once completely cooled. To unfreeze leave at room temperature, uncovered.

Options: Add candiend orange peel or candied ginger to the dough. Dip the finished cookies in chocolate. Use hazelnuts instead. Or, roll them in crushed pine nuts. I find the cookies wonderful as is and would not recommend varying, but isn't it nice to know you can?