Ricciarelli are delicious almond biscuits traditionally associated with the city of Siena in Tuscany. These Italian treats have the characteristic shape of a grain of rice, with a lightly crisp, cracked exterior and a wonderfully soft, chewy centre, much like macarons. Dating back to the 14th century, ricciarelli were once served at Tuscan courts and have since become famous around the world. Traditionally, they are baked and given as gifts in the run-up to Christmas, much like cantucci. Now you can make them at home – they’ll taste just like those from the finest Tuscan pastry shop!
They’re surprisingly easy to make and require only three main ingredients: almonds, icing sugar and egg whites. The secret to perfect ricciarelli is to chill the dough for 24 hours, allowing it to firm up and develop its rich flavour and aroma. The taste and texture are so irresistible that you may want to make a double batch straight away. They’re delicious served with Vin Santo, coffee or hot chocolate, and make a wonderful homemade Christmas gift. And don’t forget—they should be generously coated in icing sugar!
Makes about 25 biscuits.
Ingredients for ricciarelli:
- 200 g ground almonds*
- 2 medium egg whites (70 g)
- 200 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- a pinch of salt
All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and begin whisking. Once they become foamy, add the salt and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Add the lemon juice, orange zest, vanilla extract and almond extract. Fold in the icing sugar and ground almonds using a spatula or wooden spoon until a soft almond dough forms. Shape the dough into a thick log, wrap it tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for 24 hours, or for up to 3 days.
Dust your work surface generously with icing sugar (from the additional amount listed below). Roll the chilled dough into a log about 3 cm in diameter, dusting with more icing sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 20 g pieces. Spread more icing sugar over the work surface. Press each piece lightly into the sugar so it coats the underside, then shape it by hand into a rice grain or elongated oval, gently flattening the dough and tapering the ends. Each biscuit should measure approximately 5–6 cm in length.
Line a flat baking tray with baking paper. Arrange the biscuits about 4–5 cm apart. Dust them generously with more icing sugar.
Bake using conventional top and bottom heat as follows: 150°C for 6 minutes, increase the temperature to 170°C and bake for another 6 minutes, reduce the temperature back to 150°C and bake for a final 6–8 minutes. The biscuits should have a lightly crisp, cracked surface while remaining soft and chewy inside. They should not brown. Leave them to cool on the baking tray for several minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack using a spatula, as they will still be quite soft.
After about 1 hour, they will have reached their perfect texture.
Additionally:
- 250–300 g icing sugar, for shaping and coating
Store the ricciarelli in an airtight container or biscuit tin for up to 7 days.
* You can use lightly toasted ground almonds if you prefer. If starting with whole almonds, it’s worth toasting them in a dry frying pan until lightly golden, then allowing them to cool completely before grinding.
Enjoy!
Recipe source: Tavolartegusto.
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