The soft Tuscan ricciarelli biscuits are delicious sweets typical of Sienese pastry made with almonds, sugar, and egg white.
They are sweets with an oval diamond shape reminiscent of rice grains.
Traditionally in Tuscany, they are prepared during the Christmas holidays, although they can now be found in pastry shops at other times.
I love these delightful sweets; they are so soft and fragrant that one leads to another.
There are many recipes with ricciarelli featuring the citrus aroma of candied fruits, vanilla, bitter almond, or cocoa, all very delicious versions.
I have already prepared the cocoa version, and they were appreciated. Today, I’m sharing this simple recipe, which is also highly appreciated, that I found in a sweet recipe book.
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THESE RECIPES
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 18
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for soft Tuscan ricciarelli
- 7 oz almond flour (or 7 oz of blanched almonds)
- 2 egg whites (at room temperature)
- 7 oz powdered sugar (+ as needed for dusting)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 orange zest (finely grated)
- Half vial of vanilla flavor
Tools
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 Oven
Steps for soft Tuscan ricciarelli
If you don’t have almond flour, grind the whole blanched almonds with half of the powdered sugar in the mixer. (For more servings, double the ingredients)
In a bowl, mix the egg whites with the lemon juice, vanilla, orange zest, and bitter almond extract (optional) for a few seconds with a hand whisk until a foamy mixture is obtained.
Then add the powdered sugar and almond flour.
Mix well with a spoon until a soft and somewhat sticky dough is obtained.
Close the bowl or transfer it into a sheet of plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for about 1 day; this is to enhance the dough’s fragrance.
After resting, transfer the dough onto a surface sprinkled with a bit of finishing powdered sugar, shape into a log about 1 inch wide, and cut into 3/4 oz pieces. You can make them a bit smaller, but this is the ideal size.
As you make the ricciarelli biscuits, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them apart.
You can lightly wet the surface of the biscuits with water using your fingertip and cover them with powdered sugar, then place them in a preheated oven.
BAKING
Bake the biscuits in a static oven for about 12-15 minutes at 340°F; don’t go beyond, as they are ready when cracks form on the surface. Adjust according to your oven’s power if you need to remove them earlier or later; they should not brown too much!Once baked, do not touch them, they will be very soft, but they will harden once cooled, sprinkle again with powdered sugar.
Gently take the soft ricciarelli biscuits, place them on a serving tray, and serve!
Storage and Tips
The longer the ricciarelli dough rests, the more fragrant it becomes, so if it goes beyond 24 hours, even better.
The ricciarelli cookies can be stored for several days in an airtight cookie tin.
If you prefer, you can cut the wafers into the shape of the ricciarelli and place them under each ricciarello before baking.
Double the quantities for more servings.
