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    Home » Baking Recipes

    Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Biscuits)

    AU$0.26 | £0.13 per biscuit
    By Robyn | Published: Sep 20, 2022 | Modified: Oct 11, 2022

    TO THE RECIPE
    ricciarelli Italian almond biscuits pin

    These Italian almond cookies with crispy shells, called Ricciarelli, are made with almond meal, flavoured with orange zest, and are a delicious gluten free Christmas biscuit.

    overhead shot of ricciarelli almond biscuits on a cooling rack to show the crackled top

    These Italian orange almond biscuits are native to Tuscany and typically eaten at Christmas time. Whilst related to amaretti – which are also made with egg whites and almonds – they tend to be softer and have a lovely slight chewiness.

    And because they are just made with almond meal (ground almonds) they are naturally gluten free biscuits! If you are a regular reader – thankyou for coming back! – you will know that I am currently loving Italian baking with almond flour, as in this flourless chocolate cake.

    stack of three Italian Ricciarelli cookies with one to the right bitten into to show the soft centre

    The best way to get the distinctive Ricciarelli crackled shell: is to make the biscuits, roll them in a ball in icing sugar and then place on lined baking trays to dry out slightly. Leave for 1-3 hours, depending on humidity (see Tip 1 below). Then pinch the ends to form into oval shapes and flatten slightly – this will give your almond cookies a lovely crackled appearance:

    image to show ricciarelli in balls before being shaped, and once shaped and crackled

    I actually found this out by mistake, I have to admit. On autopilot as I rolled them into balls, I completely forgot to form them into their traditional oval shape. I only came to realise this when I came to put them in the oven, so shaped them just before baking, and they came out wonderfully cracked. The next time I tested the recipe, I was confident and shaped them before leaving them to rest. They hardly crackled at all, so since then I have always shaped them after they have rested.

    Baked Ricciarelli soft Italian cookies on baking paper and rack, with a small bowl of orange zest top right hand corner

    FAQ and Tips

    What are Ricciarelli?

    Ricciarelli are soft Italian almond biscuits, with a dense and slightly chewy interior and a crispy crackled shell. Originating in Siena, Tuscany, they are traditionally eaten at Christmas time.

    What are the ingredients for Ricciarelli, Italian almond cookies?

    • Egg Whites – which makes this a great recipe for using up leftover egg whites (as are these German Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars)). You can use the egg yolks to make custard, an egg wash for pastry, or freeze them for later.
    • Almond meal – also known as ground almonds if you are in the UK.
    • Icing sugar – known as confectioners sugar or powdered sugar.
    • Orange zest – you only need the zest of half an orange in this recipe. To use up the other ½, you can make this Spanish French toast and either drink the juice, make it into a orange salad dressing or use in this no sugar berry compote
    • Salt
    • Almond Extract

    Tip 1: To get the crispy crackled shell:

    These almond flour biscuits / cookies need to sit to develop their distinctive crispy shell. For how long depends on the humidity. If it’s a hot and humid day it can take hours, where as in the cooler, drier day it can take as little as an hour. To test, pinch one end gently and the surface should break a little.

    Tip 2: To make sure the Ricciarelli are soft:

    Don’t overcook the biscuits. They are soft when they come out of the oven but will harden as they cool. You want them to be a very very light golden, no darker.

    How long can I store these almond meal cookies?

    In an airtight container up to five days, but they are best eaten in 3 days – they begin to dry out sightly after this time.

    For more almond meal recipes: check out these choc chip cookies and peach melba meringue.

    a stack of three biscuits with another biscuit resting against the stack

    Ricciarelli (Italian almond biscuits)

    Author: Robyn

    These soft chewy Italian Almond cookies made with almond meal and orange zest are a delicious gluten free Christmas biscuit
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    resting time 3 hrs
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 20 biscuits
    Calories 94 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 egg whites ($0.70 / £0.36)
    • pinch salt ($0.01 / £0.01)
    • 200g (2 c) almond meal / ground almonds ($3.16 / £1.68)
    • 180g (1½ c) icing sugar / confectioners sugar ($0.65 / £0.33)
    • ½ orange, zest ($0.50 / £0.09)
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract ($0.02 / £0.01)

    Instructions
     

    • Line two baking trays with baking paper.
    • Whisk the egg whites with pinch salt until stiff peaks.
    • Stir in the almond meal, icing sugar, orange zest, and almond extract.
    • Spoon 2 tablespoons of icing sugar onto a plate.
    • Take a teaspoon of mixture, roll into balls, roll into icing sugar and place on tray.
    • Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
    • Leave at room temperature for 1-3 hours, depending on humidity – see note below.
    • Preheat the oven to 160 ˚C / 320˚F
    • Gently pinch opposite ends on the Ricciarella to form an oval shape and flatten slightly, so they are 1cm / .39 inches thick.
    • Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are very very light golden.
    • They will be soft, but will harden up as they cool.
    • Leave to cool on tray for 5 minutes then cool completely on wire rack.
    • Store in an airtight container.

    Notes

    Estimated costs: Australia $5.04. Per biscuit = $0.26
    UK £2.48. Per biscuit = £0.13
    America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please contact me and I’ll get calculating 🙂 
    Whipping Egg Whites to Stiff Peaks: You have reached stiff peaks when the egg whites are glossy and when you lift the whisk up, it leaves a peak that stands straight up and doesn’t flop over at all.
    Humidity: If it’s a hot and humid day it can take a few hours for the outer layer of the cookie to dry out slightly. Whereas on a cooler, drier day it can take as little as an hour. 
    Uses for egg yolks: make custard, as a glaze for pastry, aioli, or add to an omelette.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 94kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword chewy almond cookies, gluten free cookies, Italian biscuits, Italian cookies

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. vera says

      October 26, 2022 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this recipe easy and absolutely delicious best ever.

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        October 30, 2022 at 8:03 pm

        Thank you so much Vera, that’s made me very happy to hear 🙂

        Reply
    2. Kim says

      April 16, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      Easy to make and delicious. These taste the same as the Italian ones I buy at Christmas from a fancy shop – actually better because they are freshly made and moist. If you don’t like the almond flavour, you could replace it with any other flavour of your choice.

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        April 16, 2022 at 3:42 pm

        Thanks for your comment Kim, so pleased to hear you enjoy the biscuits. Homemade are always the best 😉 Robyn

        Reply
    3. Kylie says

      November 17, 2020 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      So yummy! I love these with a sneaky afternoon coffee!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        November 17, 2020 at 4:55 pm

        They go so well with coffee 😉 thanks Kylie!

        Reply
    4. Sarah says

      November 16, 2020 at 11:13 pm

      5 stars
      Yuuum! I always have leftover egg whits after making ice cream, these use like a perfect way to use them up 🙂

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        November 17, 2020 at 4:54 pm

        They are a delicious recipe for using up egg whites! Thanks Sarah!

        Reply
    5. Sylvie says

      November 09, 2020 at 9:29 am

      5 stars
      I adore anything almond so these are straight up my alley – especially with the addition of orange zest. Yum!!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        November 09, 2020 at 1:32 pm

        I am also a sucker for anything almond too Sylvie!

        Reply
    6. David says

      November 09, 2020 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      They taste great !
      I replaced the almond meal by almond flour for practicality reasons and put around 290-300g of confectioner sugar (was doing the recipe*2) instead of the whole 360.

      They’re definitely going into the list of recipes to be re-used !

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        November 09, 2020 at 1:30 pm

        Thanks David! That’s so good to hear! That’s great to know that you can make them with less sugar too! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Andrea says

      November 08, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, yum!! These biscuit look deliciously chewy and moorish – perfect for afternoon tea! I love the flavours too- almond and orange is always a winner. I can’t wait to try them!

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        November 09, 2020 at 1:29 pm

        Thanks Andrea! I love the combination of almond and orange too 🙂 Hope you enjoy them!

        Reply

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    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

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