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Italian Ricciarelli Cookies

ByRosemary Molloy December 9, 2021December 13, 2023 December 13, 2023

Italian Ricciarelli Cookies are soft and chewy and are made with almond flour with a hint of orange or lemon flavor. They make a wonderful gluten-free option for a Christmas cookie plate or can be enjoyed any time of the year with your favorite coffee.

I grew up eating ricciarelli around the holidays and to this day, they are one of my favorite Italian cookies. They are a traditional cookie that, some say, dates as far back as 15^th century Tuscany and any cookie that has been around that long just has to be amazing!

They’re made with almond flour, powdered sugar, and egg whites which give the cookie its classic chewy texture. The tops of these almond cookies have a characteristically crinkled top and are dusted with powdered sugar, which makes them the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table, although I’ll happily eat them during any season!

Ingredients

Large egg whites – room temperature egg whites work best in this recipe. They will be easier to mix in with the other ingredients.
Orange or lemon zest – you can zest the citrus by using a zester or if you don’t have one, you can use the small holes of a box grater. Make sure you don’t include the white under layer which can be very bitter.
Vanilla extract
Almond flavoring – you can usually find almond extract beside the vanilla in most grocery stores
Powdered/icing sugar – whisk the sugar to remove any lumps
Almond flour – this nut flour is made from ground skinless almonds
Salt
Baking powder

How to make this recipe

Ricciarelli are easy to make, but they do require 12 – 24 hours of chilling time in the fridge, It’s best to plan ahead when you want to make them. I promise that the wait will be worth it!

Cookies on a black server with 1 cut open.

Prepping the dough

In a large bowl or mixer add the egg whites, zest, vanilla, and almond flavoring, mix together. Use the flat beaters of an electric mixer, or simply mix everything with a wooden spoon.

The egg, zest, flavors mixed in a white bowl.

Next, add in the sugar, almond flour, salt, and baking powder and combine everything together until a soft and compact dough forms.

Adding the sugar and flour and making a dough.

Place the dough in a clean bowl cover it with plastic wrap. The dough now needs to chill in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours to let the flavors develop. This step is very important.

Baking the Cookies

Remove the dough from the fridge and place it onto a flat surface, that has been liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar.

The board sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Roll the dough into a log shape with your hands (approximately 21 inches/55 cm long) and cut the log into ½ inch (1.2cm) slices.

Forming a dough roll and cutting into ovals.

Shape each slice into an oval shape and lay them carefully on the prepared cookie sheets. Dust each cookie with more powdered sugar before baking. Bake the cookies.

The cookies on the prepared cookie sheet & dusted with powdered sugar.

Gently remove them from the cookie sheet and transfer them to a wire rack to cool. As they cool, the chewy texture will develop.

The baked Ricciarelli cookies on the cookie sheet.

Things to know when making this recipe

These cookies do not contain wheat flour, so they make a great option for gluten-free diets.
The dough can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge, which is great if you don’t have time to bake them right away.
Dusting with sugar helps to create a crinkled look when they are baked.
Try to make the cookies the same size so that they all bake evenly.
While the oven is pre-heating, allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes on the cookie sheets to dry out a bit before baking them. This can help them achieve that cracked appearance once baked.
Be gentle with the cookies when transferring to a wire rack as they will still be very soft.
The baked cookies are done when the edges are light golden brown and they start to crack on top.
The flavors keep improving over time and Italian almond cookies often taste even better the second or third day.

Recipe FAQ’s

Is almond flour the same thing as ground almonds?

Almond flour is made from ground almonds that have had their skin removed, so it tends to be paler in color and has a very fine texture. Ground almonds are made with almonds that have the skin on and tend to be slightly coarser in texture than almond flour. This recipe calls for almond flour, which you can usually find in grocery or bulk stores.

What can I make with just egg yolks?

Since this recipe only uses egg whites, you will have a couple of yolks leftover. Egg yolks are great to use in custards, Italian pastry cream, cakes, and even carbonara! Make sure to use up leftover egg yolks within a couple of days of storing them in the fridge.

How long will Italian ricciarelli cookies keep?

These cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.

How to freeze them?

The completely cooled cookies should be stored in a freezer safe container. They will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.

If you are looking to add some Italian to your Holiday Cookie tray then these Italian Ricciarelli Cookies are the ones for you. Let me know if you try them. Enjoy!

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