Ricciarelli are traditional Italian cookies made at Easter and Christmas time. These delicious soft and chewy cookies are made with almond flour, so they are perfect for a gluten free diet.
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Almond cookies, Italian Cookies, Ricciarelli
In a mixing bowl, rub the zest into the sugar to release the fragrant oils into the sugar. Mix in the almond flour and icing sugar.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites till soft peaks are formed. Slowly stir mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Gently fold this into the almond flour mixture and combine to form a moist dough.
(This step is optional - wrap the dough into long sausage shapes, cover and chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.)
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Break off small amounts of dough and form into flattened oval shapes. Dust liberally with icing sugar and leave on the counter for approximately 30 minutes to dry slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes, till small cracks form on the surface. Remove from oven and allow to cool. They should still be soft but will harden on cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
For the traditional way of making RicciarelliPrepare the dough into sausage shapes, wrap in wax paper/saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. The Ricciarelli will crack slightly in the oven, but once cooled, will hold their shape.They remain white/light golden with a rough cracked surface.