The almond tea leaves of Zafferana, like the pistachio ones, are cookies typical of traditional Sicilian cuisine, born in the small Etna town around the 1950s by pastry chef Alfio Salemi at the eponymous pastry shop. They define the local cuisine together with the equally famous fried Sicilian pastries with tuma and anchovies and are extremely thin and delicate cookies, made with a fluid batter similar to that used for homemade ice cream wafers. In this tea-leaf recipe, the almonds are roughly chopped and remain visible, giving aroma and crunch. Golden at the edges and lighter in the center, these sweets are pantry-style dry cookies, perfect to accompany tea, a sweet wine, or as a dessert to serve at the end of a meal. A simple recipe made with few ingredients and ancient gestures that tells the traditional pastry story of Zafferana Etnea and the warmth of home kitchens. You’ll see that the homemade Zafferana tea cookies are easy to make and as delicious as the originals. Crispy and delicate, once tasted you won’t be able to stop making them over and over! Follow me in the kitchen, let’s prepare the thin almond Zafferana cookies together, but first I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
See these other Sicilian almond desserts:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make Zafferana almond cookies
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp (about 4.6 oz) all-purpose flour (type 00)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tsp (about 4.4 fl oz) water
- 4 tbsp (about 2.1 oz / approx. 1/4 cup) butter (or sunflower seed oil)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tsp (about 3.9 oz) sugar
- 1 packet vanillin (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3.5 oz (about 2/3 cup) shelled almonds
- 1.8 oz (about 50 g; roughly 3 tbsp + 1 tsp) egg white (or 40 g water (about 2 tbsp + 2 tsp))
Tools
- Oven
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Hand whisk
- Spoon
- Rolling pin
Steps to make homemade tea-leaf cookies
Before you get started with the dough, a clarification is due.
Among the ingredients you’ll find egg white or water. Originally I prepared the tea leaves using egg white, but over time, due to an egg intolerance in a family member, I chose to eliminate it and adjust the batter simply with water.
The result was surprising: even more fragrant, light and crumbly cookies, so since then this has become my definitive version.
Place the almonds on your work surface and, calmly and using a sharp knife, slice half of them into thin flakes. Coarsely chop the rest into a rough crumb. Avoid using blanched or pre-sliced almonds, as you would lose some aroma.
In a large bowl pour the sugar, add the water and whisk until the mixture is uniform. Add the warm melted butter and continue to stir.
Gradually incorporate the sifted flour, working with the whisk slowly, until you obtain a smooth batter without lumps. Then add the vanillin and the chopped almonds, mixing well to distribute them evenly in the dough. Adjust the batter by adding the egg white or a little water, a spoonful at a time.
Using a spoon, take small portions of the batter and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper, spaced well apart. Spread the batter to form thin discs (if too thick they will remain chewy after baking).
Bake in a preheated static oven on the middle rack at 356°F (180°C) for 20 minutes or until the edges become golden and the center slightly amber. Once out of the oven, lift them while still hot and place them over a rolling pin or a curved surface to give them their delicate, slightly arched shape. Work quickly, because once cold you won’t be able to shape them anymore. Let them cool completely and they’ll become super crunchy, ready to tell their story.
Storage notes and tips
These Zafferana almond cookies keep best in a tin box or an airtight container at room temperature for several days, retaining their fragrance and crunch.
Important tip: work the batter calmly and drop it in well-spaced spoonfuls, because it tends to spread a little during baking. This is exactly what gives the cookies their thin, irregular shape, typical of the tradition.
You can replace the almonds with pistachios or hazelnuts to obtain pistachio or hazelnut tea leaves.
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FAQ (Questions & Answers)
How do you get the slightly curved shape of the cookies?Right after baking, when they are still hot and soft, you can lay them over a rolling pin or a curved surface and let them cool there.
How should these cookies be stored?
Store them in a tin box or an airtight container at room temperature for several days to maintain fragrance and crunch.
Why do the cookies come out irregular in shape?
That’s normal: the batter is spooned out and spreads naturally in the oven. This irregularity is a typical characteristic of homemade cookies.
