Ricciarelli are dense, chewy Italian almond cookies originating in Siena. They are a distant, and much less fussy, Italian cousin to the French macaron — perfect with tea or coffee!
It’s about time I shared a recipe with you that was inspired from our trip to Italy last fall!
We had so much good food while we were there that I wish I could relive or recreate: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, or Florentine steak. Tiramisu. Homemade cavatelli pasta with arrabiata sauce from our cooking class in Rome. Allllllll those interesting flavors of gelato. Of course, pizza. More than anything, I wish I could import the amazing cured meats we had or have just one more sandwich from Lo SchiacciaVino.
While we were in Florence, we had the rare treat of meeting up with my European blogger friend Emily of Inside the Rustic Kitchen (an amazing go-to recipe blog for all things Italian!).
We both happened to bring each other identical gifts – cookies local to the cities we lived in. I brought her benne wafers (small, crunchy sesame cookies) from Charleston, and she brought me a box of ricciarelli – chewy almond cookies native to Siena, Italy.
I had never had them before but my husband and I were in love with them from the first bite! It was really difficult trying to save any of the cookies for more than a couple days!
What are ricciarelli?
Ricciarelli are cookies from Siena, Italy, that have a kick-you-in-the-face almond flavor, a lovely dense chewiness, and a beautiful cracked surface. One of these cookies is just perfect alongside a hot cup of Earl Grey or, if you want to live in true Italian style, a cappuccino.
Think of ricciarelli cookies as a cousin to macarons. Technically, I believe, it is actually a type of macaroon – with two o’s – but they made me think of macarons – with one o – as I was making them.
The recipes and techniques of ricciarelli and macarons are actually very similar: In both types of cookie, you fold almond flour and sugar into whipped egg whites, and you leave the shaped cookies on the baking sheet for a while to dry out before baking in order to form a little crust on the outside.
But — and this is good news — ricciarelli dough is much less fussy to make than macaron batter.
In ricciarelli, the ratio of almond flour to egg whites is much higher than in macarons, so you get a dense, chewy almond cookie rather than a light, airy one. Because there’s so much almond flour to fold in, it’s impossible to keep much of that fluffy meringue texture. Instead of lava-like macaron batter, you end up with a sticky dough you can roll into balls with your hands.
However, that hint of a crispy meringue-like exterior is still there before you hit the chewy inside. Letting the cookies rest long enough on the counter before baking is key to getting this texture!
Getting perfectly crackled ricciarelli cookies
That dried-out shell on the cookie dough is also vital to getting the beautifully craggy, crackled effect on the outside as well. With ricciarelli, you roll each ball of dough in powdered sugar before baking. When it cooks, the dough on the inside expands and breaks through the dried exterior, allowing golden cracks to show through the white outside.
However, sometimes the cookies need a little help in getting the crackled effect. The first time I made these, the dough was practically drying out by the time I got them on the cookie sheet and cracked very easily on their own. The second time I made them, even though I left them on the counter for two hours instead of one, the cookies needed some assistance to get the cracked texture.
You can see the difference here – the cookies on the right didn’t have any help, while the ones on the left were pre-cracked before baking.
I lightly squeezed each cookie from opposite corners until I was satisfied with the cracks I could see forming in the tops of the unbaked cookies. Then, instead of relying on the expanding dough to create the cracks, they just have to enhance the ones you already made.
I’ve demonstrated below on the baked cookies how I squeezed the unbaked dough balls to crackle the shells. Feel free to lightly press down on the tops or whatever you need to do to get those cracks started!
It’s basically like when you slice the top of your bread dough before baking. If you don’t, the dough will still expand and crack, but it might not be where you want it to. (In the case of the cookies, I found without pre-cracking the dough, it will mostly crack on the bottoms of the cookies rather than the tops, which isn’t nearly as pretty)
Getting the ideal flavor and texture
I did several rounds of recipe testing to get these just right for you! The first batch was delicious but tasted too much of orange and was too sweet. (The orangey flavor was lovely, just not as close to the original super-almondy ones we had.)
The second batch was much closer to the original cookies we had, but lost that hint of a meringue-like shell. Granted, I don’t remember that being present in the original cookies we had in Italy, but was a really nice attribute of the first batch of cookies I made!
I wasn’t sure why less sugar and orange zest would affect the texture, but I theorized that it was related to the humidity on the day I made the second batch.
What else could I do but test the same recipe with a third batch? This time I had our new dehumidifier on. Voila! Nice slightly crispy thin meringue-like shell, with the dense, moist, chewy interior. Perfecto!
Granted, they were still AMAZING in the second batch – just know that the humidity of your climate may affect the exact texture of your cookies. You can always leave them out longer before baking to help them out if you are in an especially humid environment!
Anyway, the best thing you can do to make sure these cookies come out well is to TRY THEM. They’re very easy to make — and even with subtle variations on exactly how the surface or flavor of each batch turned out, the consensus for each and every cookie was that they were awesome.
Hands down: holy amazingness. These have become one of my favorite cookies now!
Ricciarelli: Chewy Italian Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites
- 1 dash lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp orange zest about half a large orange
- 1 tbsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for coating cookies
Instructions
- Whip egg whites and lemon juice together with a stand mixer or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift in almond flour, 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder and fold into egg whites. I don't do it all at once but maybe in 2-3 batches. Try to keep some air in the egg whites, but at this point it will form a pretty sticky dough rather than a fluffy meringue.
- Add orange zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract and fold in until combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using clean hands, roll dough into balls about 1" in diameter, then roll in powdered sugar until well coated. Shape into an oval, then arrange on baking sheet with some space between them for spreading, and flatten slightly.
- Leave at room temperature for about an hour or until the tops have dried out and formed almost a little shell. (This may take longer in humid areas.) Pre-crack the shell by squeezing the cookies slightly from opposite corners. (Not doing this won't affect the taste, but pre-cracking them makes them much prettier if you want that beautiful white-gold contrast!)
- While cookies are drying, preheat oven to 300 degrees. When the cookies are ready, bake for about 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. These are even better the next day and are great with coffee or tea!
168 Comments
Sudhakar
July 15, 2018 at 9:20 amWow, gorgeous.
Caroline Lindsey
July 15, 2018 at 4:12 pmThank you!
Kelly Anthony
July 15, 2018 at 2:41 pmOh my goodness! The interior of those cookies looks TO DIE FOR! Yum!
Caroline Lindsey
July 15, 2018 at 4:13 pmIt really is! So chewy, with a moist, dense crumb!
Mimi
July 15, 2018 at 6:50 pmI don’t bake cookies, but I wanted to see your post because I’ve never heard of these cookies! They really look beautiful, and tasty.
Caroline Lindsey
July 15, 2018 at 8:02 pmThanks, Mimi! If you were to ever bake cookies, these are definitely worth it! Even if you’re not a fan of more common types like chocolate chip, these are unique!
Renee
July 15, 2018 at 7:13 pmThese cookies are gorgeous!! I may have to spend my afternoon making cookies!
Caroline Lindsey
July 15, 2018 at 8:00 pmYou won’t regret it!! The only problem is they don’t make more in a batch!
David
July 16, 2018 at 9:11 amThese are one of my favorite Italian treats! We bought dozens and dozens of them the week we stayed in Siena. Can’t wait to try this!
Kathleen
September 20, 2018 at 10:34 pmJust made a double batch for a Siena trip reunion. Thank you for the recipe! It is time-consuming, but the reward worth the effort. We first
tasted these amazing cookies in July during a trip to Siena with the Mountain Voices. Can’t wait to see how mine measure up!
Caroline Lindsey
September 22, 2018 at 12:42 pmHow exciting! I just made these again last week too. I hope they’re as good as you remember them from Siena!
Kevin De Angelis
December 7, 2019 at 4:18 pmI just made a batch of these cookies, and holy smoke, they have the same taste and texture as the ones we bought in Italy! Thank you so much for this recipe…it’s just not Christmas without these cookies. 😊
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:08 amThank you so much for sharing!! I’m so glad I could help add to the Christmas spirit for you!
Susan
December 8, 2018 at 4:56 pmI want to make these for my Christmas cookies swap. Can I make them in advance and freeze or keep in the refrigerator a few days?
Caroline Lindsey
December 13, 2018 at 7:04 pmHi Susan, I’m afraid I haven’t tried keeping them in the fridge or freezer but they seem to do okay in an airtight container at room temp for a few days! I’m sure the fridge would be fine too.
Katie Truong
December 3, 2019 at 2:20 amI love the crispy and chewy texture but I cant seem to get the middle fully cooked and I’m not sure why. I have even tried cooking them longer and they just become harder as it cools. Any idea why the middle remains looking uncooked?
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:30 amThe middles will be soft especially when they come out of the oven, and will stay chewy when they cool. A lot of times cookies look half-cooked immediately after taking out of the oven when they’re actually done! If they look fully done when they come out of the oven they will likely be too dry and hard like you described once they cool. Have you tried just cooking them for the 20 minutes and letting them cool? It’s also possible your oven is off – mine takes much longer to preheat than it thinks and is consistently 25 degrees cooler than the setting, so I always go by this $6 oven thermometer (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/35HnUa4. Those crispy meringue cookies cook at a low temp for a long time so I imagine your oven may also run cool. Hope this helps!
Jan
December 13, 2018 at 10:59 pmI made these for a cookie exchange and froze them about a week in advance. They thawed out perfectly and were the hit of the cookie exchange. Amazing recipe and a welcome change from most Christmas cookies.
Caroline Lindsey
December 22, 2018 at 3:09 pmThanks for the tip on freezing! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Anna M Mancini
December 16, 2018 at 3:42 pmDear Caroline:
I was born and raised in Southern Italy, but am very familiar with ricciarelli, which are sold all over Italy! I never had the recipe until I saw yours, and your ‘tricks’ to make them crack the right way were precious. I made a batch, and they came out perfect the first time! To give them more of an almond punch, I also added a couple of drops of bitter almond oil…they were as good as I remembered them from Siena! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe, one to cherish!
Caroline Lindsey
December 22, 2018 at 3:11 pmI’m so glad these came out well for you and were just like you remembered! It’s nice to have a recipe that takes you back to a cherished place!
Susan Lasch
December 18, 2018 at 2:52 pmHoping this recipe comes close to duplicating the cookies I had in Sicily! Thought I’d pass along one hot tip: Try using Fiori Di Sicilia,
a vanilla & citrus liquid available on line from King Arthur.
(I’m not affiliated with the company!)
Caroline Lindsey
December 22, 2018 at 3:08 pmHi Susan, hope these cookies were what you were looking for! Thanks for the tip, would you suggest using the Fiori Di Sicilia in lieu of vanilla extract and orange zest?
Amber
April 24, 2020 at 10:51 amI ordered this extract and used it in place of the orange zest. It was wonderful! Very aromatic. Thank you for sharing this suggestion!
Biggles
May 26, 2020 at 5:26 amMy only problem was overcooking. Fan oven anyone experience with fan oven settings?
Liz
December 19, 2018 at 8:09 pmI just made these for an office holiday party and they were a big hit, and that’s against a pretty high standard because I bake a lot of fancy treats for my coworkers. I have been looking for a recipe hack for the almondine cookies at Pistacia Vera for a long time (I used to get their cookies shipped all the way from Ohio to New York City, but they tragically no longer ship out of state). And these are almost a perfect match! Fantastic recipe!
Caroline Lindsey
December 22, 2018 at 3:07 pmYay!! I’m so glad you found a match for your beloved cookies! These are some of my favorites too.
Michael
December 22, 2018 at 10:04 amQuestion, what is ‘powdered sugar for coating cookies’? I rolled mine in icing sugar and it just got asorbed. I also mist have had mine too moist as they spread into one giant cookie! oops. Still tasted amazing tho.
Caroline Lindsey
December 22, 2018 at 3:17 pmIt’s just additional powdered sugar, beyond what you mix into the dough (not a special kind of powdered sugar just for coating cookies). I’m not sure why the icing sugar got absorbed – I find that the first little bit absorbs and then the rest stays nice and white. Are you in a very humid environment? It’s frequently pretty humid here in Charleston and then I have to let them sit for extra time before baking so they dry out enough to crackle. Did you whip the egg whites into stiff peaks before folding in the other ingredients? I’m trying to think of why your dough might have been extra runny, since mine didn’t spread that much!
tom fitzsimmons
January 25, 2019 at 11:16 pmif you mistake baking powder for baking soda they spread. they look like hell and are chewier but still delicious
Caroline Lindsey
February 16, 2019 at 2:58 pmYikes! I’m glad they were still good – one time I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder in a cornbread recipe and it was so awful I couldn’t eat it! Looked beautiful though, hah!
Emily
December 29, 2018 at 12:31 pmThank you!!! This recipe was AMAZING! We made a batch to share but had to remake them because we ate them all.
Caroline Lindsey
February 16, 2019 at 3:21 pmI know the feeling!!! Always worth saving a batch for yourself!
tom fitzsimmons
January 25, 2019 at 11:18 pmI was in siena in September and found this cookie. I used your great recipe to recreate them here. thanks so much.
Caroline Lindsey
February 16, 2019 at 2:57 pmIt’s nice to be able to have a little tasty bite to remind me of my 2017 trip to Italy as well! I’m so glad you fondly remember your time in Siena with these cookies too!
Ariana Santilli
May 4, 2020 at 7:24 pmcan i use regular flour instead of almond?
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:14 pmHi Ariana,
Using all-purpose flour instead of almond flour for these cookies would change the entire recipe and I can’t even guarantee they would come out. Think of them like coconut macaroons, except instead of coconut you’re using almond. So substituting all-purpose flour for the coconut in coconut macaroons may produce an edible cookie but they wouldn’t be coconut macaroons anymore! Hope this helps!
Dani Neville
January 31, 2019 at 8:27 pmThese are awesome. They are like little almondy marshmallows. I didn’t have any almond extract so I just used a little extra vanilla. Also didn’t have any oranges but did use an extra dash of lemon juice. They turned out really good.
Caroline Lindsey
February 16, 2019 at 2:53 pmThey’re some of my favorites! If you like almond you should definitely try them again with the almond extract – they are so good with that strong punch of almond!
Patty Barnhardt
February 14, 2019 at 3:38 pmHow much is a dash of lemon juice? Seems like that could really vary.
Thanks.
Patty
Caroline Lindsey
March 7, 2019 at 6:59 pmSomewhere in the ballpark of a half teaspoon to a teaspoon is probably fine, it won’t make that much of a difference in flavor or consistency for this recipe! A little more or less than the above is fine too!
JG
March 2, 2019 at 12:51 amMade these today on a whim with my mom, and they turned out excellent! thank you!!!
Caroline Lindsey
March 7, 2019 at 6:12 pmSo glad you loved these! Thanks for leaving a rating!
Andrea Houston
March 3, 2019 at 8:42 pmMade these today with ground pecans instead of almonds and orange peel off my own oranges, Turned out fantastic. Drying time is crucial. Great recipe.
Caroline Lindsey
March 7, 2019 at 6:10 pmThat sounds like an excellent variation on these cookies! I agree, drying time really gives it the appropriate texture!
Sylvia Lu
March 31, 2019 at 5:51 amHi Caroline. Those cracks really look beautiful, remind me of my fave chocolate crinkle cookies. Should I roll in the powdered sugar before I let them sit on the counter, or the other way around? I live in a very humid country. I can even get 80 – 90++% humidity during certain season and we don’t have demuhidifier here. Do you have any other suggestion what to do to make them dry? Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:46 amHi Sylvia, I roll in powdered sugar before they dry – it needs that gooey dough texture for the powdered sugar to stick to it. We are also extremely humid here – I’d say either just waiting longer for them to dry out, or possibly putting them in the oven at a very low temp with the door cracked open for a little while until they are a little harder to the touch. Then crack them, raise the oven temp, and bake as normal. Ovens vent out steam so they’re good at drying things out. Let me know how it goes!
Ilva
April 4, 2019 at 6:54 am300 degrees is F or C?
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:44 am300 degrees Fahrenheit. Hope you enjoy!
Rebecca Thayer
April 16, 2019 at 9:56 pmI just got back from Siena and wanted to make these cookies for myself. they turned out really good. I was just curious why your cookies (and the ones in Siena) are golden yellowy inside and mine are very much tan…. My almond flour is tan, do you guys use a special kind of almond flour that isn’t? I really wanted mine to LOOK like Sienese ones and unfortunately the look is off. Taste is spot on and I appreciate your recipe!
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:38 amMy almond flour is tan too! The only thing I can think of is maybe the orange zest gives it a bit more of a golden hue? Did you use orange zest? Or, maybe it’s just the contrast is low between the inside and outside colors if the powdered sugar soaked into the dough too much. That’s all I can think of! But I’m glad they gave you that true Siena taste you were looking for!
Rachel
April 18, 2019 at 3:54 pmI don’t often comment on recipes, but these are amazing! Made a batch because I had a couple of egg whites to use up, and my youngest son said they were his favorite cookies ever. Made some tiny tweaks just to accommodate for what we had on hand (and the fact that we love lemon) but the recipe is perfect as written.
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:36 amThanks so much for leaving a review! I may agree with your son, these are definitely some of my favorites!
Jennifer
April 26, 2019 at 3:35 pmThese came out great. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Baking is not my strength, but still they came out great. Even in humid Texas, the cookies came out just like the picture. Even my husband, who does not like almond very much, enjoyed the cookies. Can’t wait to make them again. They are a great addition to my cookie/dessert list.
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 10:33 amThanks so much for commenting, Jennifer! I’m so glad you loved them! It definitely takes a little longer to dry out the dough in a humid environment but they are sooo worth the wait!
Emily
April 27, 2019 at 2:13 pmPlease be warned! If you are making these cookies to bring somewhere don’t make them until the day you need them. If you attempt to make them the day before they will all be eaten and you’ll have to make them again. They are that good.
Caroline Lindsey
April 27, 2019 at 4:12 pmHaha, I would have to agree with this statement! It’s really hard to part with them to share with others because I want to eat them all!
Serafina
May 15, 2020 at 2:15 pmJust made these yesterday. They came out perfect and insanely divine! I am an almond fiend and this tamed the beast! Thank you so much for sharing!
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:05 pmYay!! They really are a great way to satisfy that almond craving!
Catherina
May 16, 2019 at 6:17 amThey look amazing! But when I tried to bake them they were too dry, which might be because I think I used to wrong almond flour. Is it really almond flour or grounded almonds? It is super difficult to find almond flour in Germany so I thought maybe it‘s a different thing.
Caroline Lindsey
September 13, 2019 at 2:23 pmHi Catherina, almond flour is the same thing as finely ground almonds. I’m not sure why yours would end up dry!
Fatima
June 14, 2019 at 5:57 pmI have a question, instead of using almond flour could I use all purpose flour?? I have all the ingredients except for almond flour and wanted to know how much would it affect if I used all purpose flour.
Caroline Lindsey
July 2, 2019 at 7:07 pmHi Fatima, the almond flour is essential to this recipe since it’s a type of macaroon rather than a “regular” cookie! It would be like subbing flour for coconut in a coconut macaroon. I have no idea how it would turn out with all purpose flour but it would be a completely different cookie for sure! I do hope you give this recipe a shot when you have the chance to get some almond flour! You could probably substitute another nut-based flour like coconut flour but not all-purpose, since it is another finely-ground nut.
Packy
June 21, 2019 at 4:59 pmLove this recipe. These cookies have a taste and texture that make the amateur baker seem like a gourmet pastry chef. Love everything about these cookies! My gluten free friends finally get a cookie that makes them feel included. Ricciarelli are DIVINE!
Caroline Lindsey
August 29, 2019 at 10:04 amBeing naturally gluten free is definitely a perk of these cookies! It’s nice to have a cookie they can eat without modifications and substitutions. So glad you and your friends loved these!
JR
July 1, 2019 at 3:15 pmI made them and I tend to be inpatient but everything turned out as picture. At first, after the dry time, when I pushed down I was only getting minor cracking. But, the cracks become even more pronounced during baking. Mine didn’t appear to fully cook near the bottom, as there was a dense wet layer, so next time I’ll maybe add a coupe of minutes.
Great recipe for an elevated cookie experience. Elevated in ingredients, but not level of skill required. :).
Thank you.
Caroline Lindsey
July 2, 2019 at 6:56 pmI’m so glad you enjoyed these! As for the wet layer at the bottom, I’d say you may either have needed to let the dough dry out longer or perhaps you’re in a very humid area, or your oven temp may be off a bit. I know my oven is reliably 25 degrees cooler than what I set it to! Thanks so much for commenting and I hope you enjoy these again in the future!
Ruth
July 3, 2019 at 7:13 amHi there, I am just wondering if I can make them a week in advance? Cheers
Caroline Lindsey
July 14, 2019 at 7:32 pmI just made these again a week ago and the texture declines over that amount of time. Not the perfect chewy texture with just a bit of crispness on the edge anymore, but a bit more crumbly. Not bad but they definitely are better fresher.
You may have some luck freezing them for a week and thawing (rather than just leaving them in a sealed container at room temp like I did). I think some people who made this recipe did that for a Christmas cookie exchange!
Aine
July 16, 2019 at 1:11 pmI had this treat in an Italian bakery recently and the first thing i did when i got home was find a recipe for it. I’ve just baked them, exactly as per your recipe and my goodness are they good. Like, i am going to have to freeze this because otherwise i am going to sit down and eat the lot. A-maze-zing.
Caroline Lindsey
July 25, 2019 at 9:45 pmYay!! I’m so glad they turned out like you wanted! <3 thanks for your lovely comment!
Maggie
July 25, 2019 at 12:15 pmI followed your instructions exactly, and they turned out beautifully. Tasty too!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Caroline Lindsey
July 25, 2019 at 9:38 pmThanks for your kind comment, and I’m so glad you like them!
Sue
July 25, 2019 at 12:35 pmThese cookies are amazing!! Every time I make them I get soooooo many compliments!! It’s great for my gluten-free and dairy free friends. Thanks for the recipe♡
Caroline Lindsey
July 25, 2019 at 9:37 pmIt’s so nice to have a go-to cookie that’s naturally dairy- and gluten-free! I’m so happy you and your friends love these!
Ingrid Sosa
July 25, 2019 at 6:24 pmI’ve made these twice this past week – that’ll tell you how good they are! I followed the recipe exactly, but for whatever reason, the first time they came out way flatter. No matter, we ate them all! Today, they look just like your picture and the taste is a little more subtle, but divine. Chewy center, sweet almond taste with a little hint of orange – yum! My daughter has celiac disease, so I love how this is GF and the whole family can enjoy it. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing it. 🙂
Caroline Lindsey
July 25, 2019 at 9:48 pmHaha, I’ve actually made these twice this month too! It’s so nice to have a naturally gluten-free cookie recipe for the whole family, isn’t it? So glad you and your family like the recipe!
Mathew
July 28, 2019 at 6:07 pmI’ve made these twice now and very delicious!
First time I made them a little too small, but second time I weighed out each cookie to 26 grams and got the 20 cookies all nicely proportioned.
The texture and taste is perfect, but mine are spreading a little compared to your pics. I’m wondering when you roll into ball how much pressure you apply. I’m using a very light touch and wondering if I might need to press a little harder. Will have to experiment on my next batch!
Caroline Lindsey
September 20, 2019 at 10:36 amWhen you roll the cookies it’s like you’re making meatballs – it should be a pretty solid ball of dough so it doesn’t fall apart! Hope this helps!
Jan
August 26, 2019 at 9:14 amDo you have a recipe for chocolate ricciarelli?
Caroline Lindsey
August 29, 2019 at 9:57 amI don’t currently, but that sounds like it would be amazing! Maybe I’ll add it to my list!
Tina Begley
August 28, 2019 at 11:17 pmI just baked these for the first time and loved them. I almond flavor is spot on and the slight crispiness on the outside is great. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Caroline Lindsey
August 29, 2019 at 9:30 amI’m so glad you enjoyed these as much as I do! Thanks for your comment!
Arthur
September 2, 2019 at 8:44 amCan I pipe the mixture with a piping bag? Thank you
Caroline Lindsey
September 13, 2019 at 1:55 pmThe dough is pretty thick for using a piping bag, plus you are supposed to roll each cookie into a ball and then in powdered sugar. I wouldn’t use a piping bag for these.
Peggy Feng
September 6, 2019 at 6:53 pmFantastic recipe. Inspired after I had some at a local bakery. Didn’t have oranges so used lemon zest. I loved it, my picky husband who is less a fan of lemons, less so. Ah well, more for me. Any chance you’ve had any luck making this without any zest? I imagine it would be similar just less bright/citrusy tasting?
Caroline Lindsey
September 13, 2019 at 1:26 pmYou could make it without zest if you’d like. Maybe try it with orange zest next time and see how your husband likes it!
KATHLEEN E BURGE
September 13, 2019 at 9:39 pmCaroline, I was given the name of this wonderful cookie by the little bakery shop in Sienna, searched the name and found your excellent recipe. It was easy and pretty much tasted the same. Your pictures look more like the ones I remember. Would you tell me exactly what is meant by mixing in small batches? And keeping air in the meringue? Mine also didn’t crackle to the beautiful finish as yours did. I want to get them perfect. Thank you. Kathleen, Anderson, SC
Caroline Lindsey
September 20, 2019 at 10:32 amWhen you fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, you add the dry ingredients a little at a time (2-3 batches) instead of all at once. It will help keep the dough airy that way. Did you let the cookies dry out adequately before baking? And did you pre-crack the surface? That will give you the crackle you’re looking for. I have lots of photos and instructions throughout the post to help you get that perfect crackle! It may take longer to dry out before baking if you’re in a humid environment like SC!
KATHLEEN E BURGE
September 21, 2019 at 8:13 amThanks, I’ll study your photos.
Rayya Ghul
September 15, 2019 at 2:17 pmAbsolutely brilliant recipe – mine turned out perfectly. Had some leftover egg white and googled what to do with them. Got this recipe and feel very pleased!!
Caroline Lindsey
September 19, 2019 at 6:07 pmIt’s really a great way to use those extra egg whites! Glad you liked it!
KATHLEEN E BURGE
September 19, 2019 at 6:22 pmCaroline, the recipe states to mix the egg whites in small batches. Exactly what does that mean? Kathleen
Caroline Lindsey
September 20, 2019 at 10:26 amOnce the egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks (in one batch, in step 1), you fold in the other ingredients (almond flour, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder) a little at a time, in 2-3 batches. Hope this helps!
KATHLEEN E BURGE
September 21, 2019 at 8:11 amThanks very much. They were wonderful the first time but I will fold in a little at a time my next try.
Ash
October 14, 2019 at 9:50 amWell, mine aren’t nearly as pretty as pictured (sadly, the dough was quite sticky to roll into balls. I probably used too little almond flour). They taste amazing though! So I’ll just count that as a success 😉
Caroline Lindsey
October 18, 2019 at 9:24 amThe dough will be pretty sticky but if you feel it needs a little additional almond flour feel free to add it until it’s a bit more workable! Should still come out fine. If it is super sticky, you may need to let the dough rest for a little extra time in order to form that dry surface that allows it to crack. Glad you enjoyed these! They’re some of my favorites!
Rene C
October 19, 2019 at 7:51 pmI made these twice this week because they were just that good! This my new favorite cookie recipe!
Caroline Lindsey
November 1, 2019 at 9:00 amThanks so much, Rene! It’s one of my favorite cookie recipes too!
Doris Holmes
October 21, 2019 at 11:45 ambest cookies i have ever made and i have tried them all . I have made 3 batches so far and my family loved them . over a 30 year span of trying to make almond cookies just like home these have exceeded my expectations bravo girl and keep those recipes coming 10+
Caroline Lindsey
November 1, 2019 at 8:59 amThank you so much, Doris!! Your comment made my whole day!
Silvia Spampinato
October 23, 2019 at 2:31 pmHi, could you please tell me what kind of almond flour do you use? At the grocery they have fine, extra fine, coarse, bleached, unbleached…I don’t want to make any mistake! Thanks
Caroline Lindsey
November 1, 2019 at 8:53 amHi Silvia! Your grocery seems to have a lot more options than mine for almond flour, but given those choices I’d probably go with either fine or extra fine, unbleached. Since we do sift the almond flour you wouldn’t want course, and the unbleached will probably help give it that nice golden color when you bake it!
Tricia
October 31, 2019 at 1:33 pmThank you so much for posting this recipe! I did study abroad for a semester and lived in Siena, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t find these cookies anywhere to buy after coming back to the US. Then I found your recipe, and I am delighted that I can replicate these little gems that are even better than those from Nannini in Siena. They are the perfect cookie, and I made them for a work event too and they were a huge hit! One question though, what type of sieve/sifter did you actually use? I didn’t have one so I had to buy one, and I couldn’t really get the almond flour to pass through it very well so I gave up and just added it into the mixture without it. Thanks!
Tricia
Caroline Lindsey
November 1, 2019 at 8:28 amI’m so glad you liked these cookies! The sieve I used is something along these lines (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/2qZ1ly9 but I think I just got mine at the Dollar Tree. I would probably say sifting the almond flour isn’t quite as important for these cookies as it is for, say, macarons, but I’d still give it your best shot.
Tricia
December 6, 2019 at 2:48 pmThank you! I now found a sieve that works now!
Hena
November 21, 2019 at 5:46 pmI made these today and they were so easy and so delicious!! Thank you!! Completely 5 stars!
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:39 amThanks so much for sharing!
Michelle
November 29, 2019 at 7:47 pmThese are amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. It brings back memories of Siena!
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:36 amYay, I’m so glad you liked these!
Doris Holmes
December 1, 2019 at 11:28 ambest almond cookies i have ever had and have been baking for 40 years and have tried most of them. Costco has almond flour in a 1.36kg bad and is great for this recipe . thanks again my family loves them
Tricia Caponera
December 6, 2019 at 2:50 pmHi,
Update since I first made these – I’ve now made them three times and they are such a hit! My coworkers love them, my family loves them, and everyone wants the recipe! I agree with Doris above, best almond cookie and for me it’s my new favorite cookie overall!
Question, I wanted to make these for Christmas for a friend that has Celiac, it seems like these would be Gluten Free? Since there isn’t any flour in them?
Thanks!
Tricia
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:24 amI have had people say they’ve made them for their gluten-free friends and family but I’d check your other ingredients like powdered sugar to make sure there isn’t some gluten hiding somewhere else! Maybe send her an ingredient list and see if there are any ingredients to watch out for – some ingredients have hidden gluten depending on the brand like chicken broth or I think white vinegar but she would know better than I would if there are any to look out for!
Laura Rayburn
December 7, 2019 at 3:00 pmI am so excited I found this recipe. I remember my Sicilian grandmother making these at Christmas but she didn’t use citrus. Hers were a bit darker brown and had a spice note. Do you have any suggestions for what she may have included….cinnamon?, brown sugar. I really want to use your base to replicate her flavor. All suggestions most appreciated! Merry Christmas.
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:20 amWow, that sounds delicious! Unfortunately I have only had the ones from Siena so I’m not sure what the Sicilian variation might be. I asked my coworker who has Sicilian heritage and she suggested it might have been cinnamon, nutmeg, or anise, which all make regular appearances in Sicilian cookies. Hope this helps!
Laura Rayburn
December 20, 2019 at 11:25 amThanks for the suggestions, Caroline. I can’t wait to experiment over the holidays.
MacKenzie
December 10, 2019 at 10:07 pmI just want to thank you so much for sharing this recipe! When I got married in 2017, a group of my friends bought a bunch of cookies from New England bakeries for a cookie table, and this cookie was easily the best. It took me this long to figure out what the cookie was and find a recipe! I just made them for my work’s cookie exchange, and they were a huge hit!
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:07 amYayy!! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
Kat
April 19, 2020 at 3:43 pmDelicious and approved by my Italian partner! Thank you for sharing!
Caroline Lindsey
June 27, 2020 at 11:02 amAwesome! I’m glad y’all both enjoyed them!
Ruth Whetsel
December 11, 2019 at 12:19 pmHi Caroline, Thanks for the lovely recipe. You explain things well imho. Please don’t be horrified, but I’ve just made your ricciarelli without sugar, using sifted stevia….and they’ve worked! No doubt you would find the taste a bit wrong, but the trade-off is worth it in our case. We lived in Florence for two years some forty years ago, and the shops were not above offering imports from neighboring Siena. We didn’t have many ricciarelli, and the memory of what we did have has long faded, but the other day when I saw a beautiful package of ricciarelli in Carluccio’s shop, I remembered–ahah! — and was inspired…. Looking at the ingredients on the package, I wondered if they might not be home-make-able… Your recipe won the lottery, thank goodness. (It was actually your writing.) The ricciarelli have cracked on top, as you said they would. . And I have just eaten one….. oh, yes! They are al dente on the outside and chewy inside. Flavor is great. Dreamy! You’ve made a huge difference in tonight’s supper, in the holiday season and in life I expect! Wow! Thank you again, Caroline. With every best wish from one effusive Ruth Whetsel
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 11:03 amRuth, your comment gave me teary eyes! It absolutely made my week. Thank you so much for taking the time for coming back and leaving such a lovely comment on the post. It really motivates me to create more recipes like this that bring back wonderful memories for you and others!
David
December 16, 2019 at 12:49 pmI won a cookie bakeoff this past weekend with this recipe (14 other contenders!)! I think the really potent almond flavor helped me stand out against the typical holiday shortbread, sugar, ginger and chocolate flavors. They came out exactly as pictured and were quite easy. A few notes– I couldnt’ get any of the almond flour to sift through my sieve, so I gave up on that; no issues with results. Also It was really hard to tell when they were done, since they don’t brown or even puff up much. My only clue was to periodically pick a random one and look at its bottom, until they got to be a bit golden. Even then I thought they might be a little underdone, but by cooling, they firmed up a little and were really a perfect consistency. Grazie mille!
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 10:26 amMost cookies will look too soft or a little underdone right when they come out of the oven, but will be perfect when they cool – if they look completely done when you take them out of the oven they will probably end up too dry! If you had to cook them much longer than the 20 minutes for them to finish cooking you might consider investing in an oven thermometer to double check your oven temp! I only use mine since my oven takes way longer to preheat than it thinks and is consistently 25 degrees cooler than the setting. They’re only about $6 so totally worth the investment! (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/35HnUa4 Congrats on winning the cookie bakeoff!!
Susan T
December 17, 2019 at 9:41 amOutrageously delicious!! Not sure what a dash of lemon juice was, but found a “dash” measuring spoon amongst my baking utensils and used two dashes because one seemed too little. The drying processed worked pretty good, only had to help a few to show the cracks (guess NJ in winter doesn’t emit too much humidity). The orange zest added a distinct flavor, which separates the taste from Pignoli cookies. Everyone loved them so much they will now be a staple when I bake Italian cookies for holidays and special events. Thank you for such a delicious recipe.
Caroline Lindsey
December 19, 2019 at 10:21 amThanks so much for sharing! I’m so glad you loved these cookies!
H. Miller
April 9, 2020 at 4:22 pmJust made these and they are amazing! I ground whole almonds as fine as I could but even with the slightly coarser texture they are wonderful. Thank you!
Caroline Lindsey
June 27, 2020 at 3:58 pmAlmond flour is just finely ground almonds, so you did well grinding whole almonds! Glad you liked these!
Rebecca
January 28, 2020 at 9:55 pmBest cookie ever!
Caroline Lindsey
June 28, 2020 at 4:40 pmThanks! One of my favorites too!
Michele
March 5, 2020 at 2:01 amThese are perfect for anyone who is gluten free. They turned out amazing and I will be making them over and over again. Who doesn’t love almond and orange together and a chewy cookie? Thank you for thIs keeper recipe.
Caroline Lindsey
June 28, 2020 at 4:33 pmI love these for people who can’t have gluten because they’re naturally gluten free rather than using gluten free substitutions! So glad you like these!
Ms Laurie Rose
March 8, 2020 at 5:39 amGreat recipe, perfect result as promised. Thank so much!
Caroline Lindsey
June 28, 2020 at 4:38 pmThanks for your comment! I’m glad you like these!
Kirsten Sonnenberg
April 9, 2020 at 8:28 pmI am an avid baker and these are, hands down, the best and easiest cookie that any beginner could even make. I might add that your instructions are succinct and very descriptive so it’s pretty hard to mess up. Thank you! I just made three batches of these and sent them to my friends who are stuck at home like the rest of us. Stay safe and healthy!
Caroline Lindsey
June 27, 2020 at 3:56 pmThanks so much for your lovely comment. You’ve got some lucky friends! You stay safe and healthy, too!
Jennifer
April 14, 2020 at 3:44 pmI’ve made these 4 times in the last 2 months because they disappear as soon as they’re out of the oven!!! I made two batches and broke it up into 4 different colors for Easter and shaped them like little eggs and they turned out SO cute on top of always being SO delicious. Almond flour is expensive but totally worth it for this recipe – thank you so much for posting my new favorite cookie recipe!
Caroline Lindsey
June 28, 2020 at 4:24 pmWhat a great idea to make them Easter eggs! I always have to decide if making these is worth the expense of the almond flour, but yes. Yes it is.
Denise Ward
April 17, 2020 at 5:06 pmThese are what I’ve been searching for after eating a similar cookie in Puglia. I’m so thrilled to have found this recipe. Perfect texture, and oh so tasty!
Caroline Lindsey
June 28, 2020 at 4:22 pmI’m so glad these were what you were looking for!
Amy P
April 17, 2020 at 9:26 pmThese were amazing! I didn’t have an orange or vanilla extract but they were still delicious! Thank you for the recipe 😊
Caroline Lindsey
June 27, 2020 at 11:02 amSo glad you liked them! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Regina Kunschman
April 22, 2020 at 10:39 amHi! I have left a 5 star review BUT, unlike all of the other reviewers, I had an awful result. I used Powdered Swerve and the sweetness was overwhelming. And, I rolled the balls in the Powdered Swerve before baking. The cookies were left out for 4 hours. They never developed a shell and cracked. And, the Powdered Swerve on the exterior of the ovals disappeared while baking because of the oil in the almond flour. Please help me! I think that the cookies are BEAUTIFUL and I had fun making them! But I really blew it!!!
Caroline Lindsey
June 27, 2020 at 11:01 amI’m afraid I’m not familiar with sugar substitutes and how they would affect this recipe! My guess is the use of the Swerve rather than powdered sugar had something to do with the sweetness and the shell not developing. Sometimes my powdered sugar disappears on the exterior too and I have to roll it a second time to get the nice white coating but other than that, I’d probably attribute the issues to the sugar substitute.
Titati
April 24, 2020 at 1:01 pmI did it today 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽… I enjoyed so much the process until the finished stage, it was easy.
Eleanor
April 25, 2020 at 8:03 amThanks for the recipe. We loved the taste but found it a bit too sweet so next time I’ll reduce the sugar, just personal preference really. I used ground almonds instead of almond flour as I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that for sale in the shops here. I presume the grains with the flour must be finer, but it seemed to work just as well. Loved the chewy soft texture in the middle with the crunch of the shell!
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:23 pmAlmond flour is just finely ground almonds – if you can get it through a fine mesh sieve it’s probably about the same consistency. I think it could definitely work with a bit less sugar too! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Marie
April 26, 2020 at 6:51 pmCan you make a video? Mine came out very sticky..,🤷🏻♀️
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:19 pmThis recipe is high on my list for making a video! Once I get this having-a-newborn thing down hopefully I can work on new video content.
Jill
May 3, 2020 at 2:42 pmThis recipe is off…… you need more liquid….. 2 eggs whites whipped into firm peaks is not enough moisture to make any kind of batter.
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:15 pmYou should end up with a very sticky dough, not a batter. They are sort of a cousin to macarons but you won’t end up with a pipeable batter like you do with macarons! Please see the photos for the consistency you should be looking for.
Merjean
May 8, 2020 at 8:58 amI’ve made these a few times and they’re always a hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe and your adventure!
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:11 pmSo glad you enjoyed the recipe and story! Thanks for sharing!
Catmamama
May 10, 2020 at 1:46 pmMade these today..with 70% of suggested icing sugar….they are AMAZING. (Still very very sweet though!:))
Thank you for saving my cravings for almond.
One more almond dessert with egg white after egg white almond tea….x
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:09 pmGlad you enjoyed the recipe! The amount of sugar can definitely be adjusted to taste – I already reduced it twice when I was testing the recipe!
Ali Winters
May 12, 2020 at 8:19 pmI am staying with my Dad during this COVID-19 pandemic and have tried many new recipes, including several cookie/dessert recipes. This one was like hitting the lottery! So delicious! I live in Tennessee and it is quite humid here already but the cookies cracked after about 1 hour 15 minutes. I think I need to invest in that oven thermometer as they came out a little underdone in the middle. But both my Dad and I thoroughly enjoyed them! A complicated recipe made simple with your writing/directions. Thank you so much for bringing a little sunshine into our lives during this time!
PS – I tried to leave a recipe rating but it didn’t work!
Caroline Lindsey
May 19, 2020 at 2:07 pmI’m so glad you liked this recipe and that the directions helped! Hope y’all are doing well with the pandemic, sounds like you’re having lots of fun trying new recipes!
Sophie Giles
May 21, 2020 at 9:17 amThis is a fantastic recipe. Very easy. You don’t actually have to be that delicate with it at all, and that includes creating the balls and rolling them in the icing sugar. My family absolutely love these. I omitted almond essence and the orange zest because we are in lockdown and did not to have either ingredient.
Caroline Lindsey
June 26, 2020 at 6:35 pmGlad you liked these! When you’re able to get almond extract you should make the recipe again – it makes a huge difference!
Cheryl Mehta
May 23, 2020 at 12:18 amThese cookies are amazing! My husband and I bought them in Florence, Italy. We were in love!Thank you for sharing this recipe, we can relive our vacation. They were a hit at our last party! Our last batch was a tad over baked as my husband set the oven for convection bake. They were still chewy in the center, but a little darker on the outside. Thanks again!
Caroline Lindsey
June 27, 2020 at 10:56 amFood can definitely bring you back to a moment! It makes me think of our trip to Italy every time I make them. Glad they were a hit at your party!
Devon Hayzlett
May 29, 2020 at 10:23 pmI am so excited to try these. I am keto so I bake a lot with almond flour already and LOVE almond flavored cookies. Do you think a sugar replacement like monk fruit would be one for one?
Caroline Lindsey
June 26, 2020 at 5:07 pmI’m not well-versed in sugar replacements so I wouldn’t be able to tell you for sure, but this powdered monkfruit sweetener (affiliate link) says it’s a 2:1 substitute for powdered sugar. Also not sure how a sugar replacement would affect the texture of the cookie.
Adelaine
June 23, 2020 at 8:22 pmHOLY MOTHER OF …
These are absolutely amazing! I had these homemade before (courtesy of living with an Italian immigrant grandma for 4 years) but never made them myself. I’m so glad I found your recipe, thank you for sharing it and for all the hard work you put into it. I feel like I’ll be making these every Sunday instead of macarons.
Caroline Lindsey
June 26, 2020 at 4:41 pmYay!!! That sounds like an excellent Sunday tradition! (macarons too, I’ll take either!)
KATHLEEN E BURGE
June 27, 2020 at 11:03 amAre you allowed to recommend a particular brand of almond flour? The cookies on my last try were not as good as the first ones. I cannot remember the brand. Thanks
Rachel
June 27, 2020 at 8:37 pmProps. Quality recipe, the cookies have an interior like marzipan. I needed to bake 40 mins. Excellent thanks for taking the time to share this.
Caroline Lindsey
June 28, 2020 at 4:21 pmThanks! So glad you liked it!