Ricciarelli, Siena’s almond cookies
gennaio 6, 2011
This date is written in red on the calendar like every other holiday… yet it is not a common one! January the 6th is red, vivid among the first days of the year, the last day of a joyful carousel of many other jolly numbers as red as candy apples… but there’s something more behind its holiday appearance. December the 25th is a full holiday,with a sense in itself. January the 1st, again, is another holiday that makes sense on itself, standing at the beginning of the calendar, waiting for other red numbers to join the party. But what about January the 6th? What about La Befana (as we call this day)? The 6th is meant to be the last in line, the one that turns off the lights and closes the door.
And then, the silence.
Sadness? Absolutely not! A joyful holiday season is finished, this year more homely and warm than usual, but we’re ready to live another season just as good! Have you noticed that the days are getting longer bit by bit? The light is regaining its kingdom, the air smells of novelty, such as my diary with only a few appointments marked, New Year’s resolutions begin to come true… or maybe not… The important thing is that today starts a cycle that will lead us to talk about strawberries, ice cream and picnic blankets in the blink of an eye!
As spring is still far away for the moment, before closing the door to the festivities and turning out the lights, let me make the last swan song of the Christmas period. If you eat one of these, you can not keep yourself from grasping a second one, and so on. Let me introduce you ricciarelli, almond sweets typical of Siena, covered with icing sugar, with a soft heart that melts in your mouth, fresh and moist, characterized by the piercing smell of bitter almonds.
The origin of ricciarelli di Siena dates back to the fifteenth century: the almond paste – in the form of marzipan or Marzapanetti – was once very popular in the town and Siena was famous even outside its territory for its production. The cookies made with almond paste were reserved for the sumptuous banquet of the Lords because they were made of precious ingredients, mainly almonds and sugar. They were so valuable and refined that marzipan sweets were sold in the apothecaries shops along with drugs and the most exotic spices of the time.
This recipe comes from the grocery shop Rosi in Poggibonsi (SI), slightly revised. Last year I followed their doses to make cavallucci - very good - this year I tried ricciarelli - the real ricciarelli di Siena - and next year I already know that I will venture myself to the panforte (gingerbread). I love to enter their shop during the holidays because it is full of smells of spices, happy-eyed children and chocolate… but, most importantly, it is full of people talking in code: can you give me the ricciarelli dose for three? stuff for cavallucci without candied fruit, double nuts. Gimme my usual and gimme the spices, too. It’s a turnaround of numbers, doses, tips offered in a lowered voice, small pieces of written paper and puffs of icing sugar, and the result is this! Ricciarelli di Siena.
Ingredients for about 20 ricciarelli:
- egg whites, 2
- lemon juice, 1 drop
- icing sugar, 200 g
- ground almond flour, 200 g
- bitter almond extract, 2 tablespoons
- seeds from 1 pod of vanilla
- grated zest of 1 orange
- extra icing sugar, about 200 g
- white wafer, 1 large sheet (about as large as a A4 paper)
The night before. Whip the egg whites with a drop of lemon juice to stiff peaks. Fold in 200 g of icing sugar and the ground almond flour. Mix in the bitter almond extract, the grated peel of one orange and the vanilla seeds. Cover with cling-film and set aside in the fridge overnight (or at least for 4 hours).
The day after. Cut out about twenty (approximately 7 cm x 4 cm) ovals from the wafer sheet: they are meant to be the basis of ricciarelli. Place the extra icing sugar on a working surface. Roll the rough into a sausage and cut out small balls of dough. with powdered sugar a work plan. Shape the dough with your hands to cover the wafer oval. Make it about 1 cm thick and coat the shaped cookies with extra icing sugar (about 5 mm thick). Arrange them on a baking tin lined with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.
Bake in preheated oven to 160°C for about 18 minutes. They will resemble crinkle cookies. When you remove them from the oven, they will be still soft and moist, but don’t worry! they will reach the ideal texture once cooled down. Store them in an airtight container.. the day after they are even better!
And if I can’t find almond flour? Don’t worry, you can make it at home! Buy the almonds, shell them and remove the outer brown skin (to remove it quickly immerse them for about ten seconds in boiling water). Toast the almonds in the oven at 100°C for about 5 minutes and then let them cool down. Blend them with a tablespoon of icing sugar. Pulse the mixer several times using the pulse function or by pushing the “on” button, holding for a second, and releasing. The goal is not over heating the almonds, otherwise they will release the oil. Blend until you get the consistency of a medium – fine and coarse meal.
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Posted in Baked Good, Cookies, Desserts, Tuscan Recipes, Winter
Moelleux au chocolat
As a matter of fact, I...
gennaio 6th, 2011 at 11:54
Is this my challenge cookie?
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gennaio 6th, 2011 at 11:55
Love this pink cloth!!!
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gennaio 6th, 2011 at 12:03
Great cookies! So pretty and delicate looking.
This year, it seems that everyone had a simple/humble and homely Xmas. Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Rosa
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gennaio 6th, 2011 at 13:53
How similar the ingredients here are to those in French macarons but how different the instructions and resulting cookie! I must definitely try to make these.
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gennaio 6th, 2011 at 14:33
@ Zita: yes! this is your challenge! I’m so happy we decided to do this game!
The link cloth is a scarf, my Grandma made it! Isn’t she great?
@ Rosa: indeed! I loved this humble and homely feeling!
@ Sylvie: I noticed this similarity too! I’m not good in making French macarons, though, but I won’t give up! it will be my next challenge!
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gennaio 7th, 2011 at 04:40
Saw these photos on your flickr page and I HAD to come visit your blog hoping that I would find a recipe for these gorgeous. I really am eating them through my eyes!
LOVE IT!
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gennaio 7th, 2011 at 20:42
These look gorgeous.makes me think of a kind of Moroccan cookies made with almond flour and orange blossom water.
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gennaio 8th, 2011 at 09:59
@ Prerna: Thank you for your nice comment! they are soo good you must try them!
@ Soma: do you have the recipe? I would love to try them, too!
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gennaio 8th, 2011 at 17:28
Chk. ur mail. just mailed u the recipe.
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gennaio 9th, 2011 at 23:27
So much lovely almond flavor. YUm!
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gennaio 10th, 2011 at 19:50
@ Soma: got it!
@ Briarrose: 2 tablespoons oh heaven!
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dicembre 12th, 2011 at 22:31
I had the wonderful fortune to live in Siena for 6 months in College and fell in love with these treats! I can’t wait to try to make these!
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Giulia Risposta:
dicembre 13th, 2011 alle 00:01
this is the traditional recipe, you won’t be disappointed! where did you usually buy it? Nannini? forno delle campane? Buti?
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dicembre 20th, 2011 at 01:00
Did you really mean 2 Tablespoons of almond?
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Giulia Risposta:
dicembre 21st, 2011 alle 22:11
yes, two tablespoons of almond extract! it will give the unique bitter almond flavour!
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gennaio 5th, 2012 at 19:28
where can I buy the white wafer – and can you in the States?
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Giulia Risposta:
gennaio 8th, 2012 alle 14:19
Hi Mariella, I’m sorry but I don’t know where you could buy it in the States. However, it’s no essential to have excellent ricciarelli, so if you cannot find it, no problem, go for them anyway!
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dicembre 11th, 2012 at 01:00
Giulia,
Ok so bitter almond oil or bitter almond extract? Is there a difference? I have seen many suppliers here in the U.S. with the former. I have not found the latter.
Is ok to use regular almond extract?
Grazie!
Sue
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Giulia Risposta:
dicembre 11th, 2012 alle 10:45
Regular almond extract would to the same! Happy baking Sue!
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dicembre 11th, 2012 at 10:03
[...] cardoons and cavallucci. In Siena during Christmas time you can also find panforte, panpepato and ricciarelli – soft almond cookies extremely easy to make. The smell of almonds and orange together, even [...]
dicembre 19th, 2012 at 05:12
This recipe sounds divine, I can’t wait to try them! How far ahead can they be made?
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Giulia Risposta:
dicembre 19th, 2012 alle 14:51
Hi Vanessa, you can make them a few days in advance and keep them in an airtight container! Enjoy!
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dicembre 23rd, 2012 at 15:18
Yesterday we ate some italian cookies and i searched the web to find the recipe for it. Unfortunately I don’t know the name of the cookies we ate, but they look very similar to yours. The ingredients could match the taste. Currently they are in the oven. I will let you know how they tasted! Thanks for the recipe
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Giulia Risposta:
dicembre 23rd, 2012 alle 22:00
Hi Brenda, I hope you liked the ricciarelli and I hope they were exactly the cookies you were looking for! Merry Christmas! x
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dicembre 24th, 2012 at 15:08
[...] from the bottom of my heart and from the bottom of my kitchen, in the midst of ricciarelli, panforte, fish soup and mussels, I just want to wish you the best for this [...]
dicembre 30th, 2012 at 20:41
[...] Jul’s Ricciarelli Cookies from Siena [...]
gennaio 17th, 2013 at 15:45
Dear One,
Your pre-recipe is poetic and makes my heart sing. I’ve been on the search for this recipe, thank you kindly. I can’t wait to try them. I enjoyed one in a little bakery we have here on the waterfront and being a Norwegian girl love my fine cookies, this was oolah lah. Appreciate your efforts in sharing, now if I could say their name beautifully as they are. Warmly, Ginger in the Pacific North West
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Giulia Risposta:
gennaio 19th, 2013 alle 12:57
Hi Ginger, your comment made me smile, you’re so kind!
A huge hug from Tuscany
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aprile 21st, 2013 at 22:49
Hi Julia,
I’ve made the batter for the almond cookies and kept the batter in the fridge overnight and today the batter is very wet. I would have to use much more than the 200g of extra icing sugar to work with the dough. Did I do something wrong? The flavor seems right but the consistency seems wrong. Thank-you
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Giulia Risposta:
aprile 21st, 2013 alle 22:53
Hi Jane, use all the sugar you need just to shape the cookies, do not add it into the dough. And when you will bake it, give them at least half an hour before you move them from the baking tray, because they will still be soft and moist inside.
Just try and let me know!
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maggio 25th, 2013 at 18:48
Hi Giulia, I just returned from my first trip to Italy where I purchased a box of Sapori Ricciarelli and so wanted to try making Ricciarelli at home in Texas. I found your recipe and made the cookies without the wafer paper. After leaving the batter in the refrigerator overnight it was very wet and there was no way to roll it into a sausage to cut into balls. Should I add more almond flour to improve the consistency? I scooped the batter by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. The cookies tasted fabulous, but are flat and not pretty like yours. Just wondering what I did wrong. I converted the flour and sugar from 200g to 1 cup each — maybe I didn’t use enough? Thanks for your time.
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Giulia Risposta:
maggio 26th, 2013 alle 17:16
Hi Camille, first of all thank you for trying out the recipe. I am travelling right now so I cannot check a converter, but please check the quantities on an online converter to verify the amount of flour to be used. Generally speaking, I agree with you, you can try increasing the amount of flour, this could be a beginning! Cheers
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