Ricciarelli — soft Sienese almond biscuits

i. Origin & history

Ricciarelli are said to have been brought back to Siena in the 14th century by Ricciardetto della Gherardesca, returning from the Crusades. The shape — flattened diamonds — is meant to recall the curled-toe Saracen shoes he saw in the East.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 18 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 300 g ground almonds
• 250 g icing sugar, plus more for dusting
• 30 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tsp almond extract

iii. Method

1. Mix ground almonds, icing sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest.
2. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the dry mix with the almond extract to a soft dough.
3. Cover; chill 4 hours, ideally overnight.
4. Shape walnut-sized pieces into flat lozenges (5 cm long). Roll generously in icing sugar.
5. Place on lined trays. Bake at 150 °C for 18 min — they should remain pale, with the surface cracked and the inside still soft.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Ricciarelli al cioccolato dip in dark chocolate. Modern ricciarelli sometimes include candied orange peel. The closely-related cavallucci are denser, chewier Sienese biscuits.

vii. More from Italian

• Baci di Dama — Italian hazelnut cookies
• Kourabiedes — Greek almond shortbread
• Mandelbrot — almond bread
• Marzipan — the foundational almond paste
• Polvorones — Iberian crumble cookies
• Sbrisolona — Mantua crumble cake